£1.1m donated by Prince Harry to Children in Need

The Duke of Sussex has personally donated £1.1m to a BBC Children in Need initiative in Nottingham that supports young people affected by violence. He said the money—drawn from his own funds rather than his Archewell organisation—is intended to help local “changemakers” continue their mission to create safe spaces and offer hope and belonging for the young people who need it most. BBC Children in Need is now among the UK’s largest funders of independent youth workers. Tony Okotie, the charity’s director of impact, said the gift would help create spaces where young people feel safe, heard and empowered to build brighter futures. In the city, he toured the Community Recording Studio, an initiative backed by BBC Children in Need, where he applauded a rap performance and hugged a young participant. Wearing jeans and looking relaxed, he met youth workers and community groups at the studio and heard in detail how they are addressing violence in Nottingham as part of the BBC Children in Need–supported scheme. After hearing a performance by a rapper named Paige, he told her, “You gave me goosebumps.” Paige said she had been “proper nervous” on her first visit, having never seen a booth or a mic, and recalled listening to rappers on YouTube wondering, “How do they even make that?” A young comedian, Ki'miya, joked about different upbringings, telling him, “I bet you never had to stand on a chair to get a Hobnob.” He showed a few dance moves on arrival, declined an offer to sing backing vocals, and joined discussions on tackling youth violence and expanding positive opportunities for young people. Harry told attendees that Nottingham had been a place where he had heard harrowing stories, learned important lessons, witnessed resilience and felt truly inspired. He warned the challenges remain severe—and sadly are not getting any easier—with violence, especially knife crime, continuing to devastate lives, cut short futures and leave families grieving. He also praised the efforts of those in the city working to tackle food poverty, racism and educational inequality. He has made major donations before; he gave £1.2m of proceeds from his memoir Spare to Sentebale, the charity he co‑founded in southern Africa, which he subsequently left following an acrimonious dispute. He is on day two of a UK trip, during which he has been attending a series of charity engagements. He arrived in the UK on Monday and laid a wreath at Queen Elizabeth II’s grave in Windsor on the third anniversary of her death. It remains unclear whether he will see his father, King Charles, during this trip, despite ongoing speculation about a possible meeting. The pair have not met in person since February 2024, and Harry has spoken in a BBC interview of wanting a “reconciliation” with his family. While Harry was in Nottingham, the Prince of Wales undertook separate duties, visiting a south London housing project as part of his Homewards campaign to tackle homelessness. On Monday, Harry attended the WellChild Awards in London, while Prince William joined a Women’s Institute meeting in Berkshire where guests reflected on the late Queen Elizabeth’s legacy.