HULL – For a group of young people from Hull, a winter trip to London turned into something quietly memorable: a calm morning planting vegetables alongside the Prince of Wales.
Members of the Humber All Nations Alliance, better known as HANA, were invited to the Ubele Initiative in Wood Green as part of a youth programme focused on movement, wellbeing and opportunity. What they found was not ceremony or stiffness, but soil under fingernails and an unexpectedly easy conversation.
Seyi, 13, said the formality faded almost immediately. She described the prince as approachable and warm, adding that after a while she stopped thinking of him as royalty at all.
Inside one of the project’s greenhouses, the group talked through what they grow at their Hull allotment while planting herbs and vegetables together. Gloves were offered. They were politely declined.
Desiree, 14, admitted she had expected something far more serious. Instead, she found the experience relaxed and human. For her, the real value was being able to explain why the project matters — not just as gardening, but as a way of teaching independence, sustainability and confidence.
“It gives young people a voice,” she said, “and makes what we say feel like it matters.”
Jemima, also 14, said the highlight was the shared planting itself, noting how readily the prince got involved. Imisi, 12, who said she felt nervous beforehand, described him as calm and easy-going, which quickly settled the group.
Back in Hull, HANA runs a wide range of community services for Black, Asian and minority ethnic families, including advice sessions, a breakfast club and a food bank. Its allotment, located near Inglemire Lane and Marton Grove, plays a central role. Young people grow flowers and vegetables there, with fresh produce distributed weekly to those who need it.
Project manager Taiye Fatoki said the visit felt like recognition of work that often goes unseen. He explained that the allotment is about far more than food — it introduces children to environmental responsibility, climate awareness and the value of shared spaces across cultures.
He added, with a smile, that one particular plant — a three-cornered leek potted during the visit — was promised a journey back to Windsor, intended for King Charles III.
For the young people involved, though, the lasting impression was simpler: a morning that felt ordinary in the best possible way — hands in soil, conversations flowing, and a reminder that sometimes being listened to is the most powerful thing of all.
Image source,Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace