Latest news with #Mentivity
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince William mobbed by selfie-hunters outside youth centre
The Prince of Wales was mobbed by passers-by after visiting a youth centre in south London on Thursday. The royal was hugged by well-wishers and posed for a series of selfies after visiting Mentivity in Walworth. The youth club, hailed as "fantastic" by the prince, aims to mentor and inspire young people to "achieve their full potential". During the visit, Prince William played video games with its members – losing a virtual football match but winning a Mario Kart race – and chatted with its founders and Rik Salmon, an executive from , which is working with Mentivity. Mr Salmon revealed afterwards that the royal had told him he used the music streaming platform to find new music and that it helped him to calm down. Meanwhile, Zia Adeniyi, 10, who raced in Mario Kart, said: "He said he didn't know how to play it and he kept asking me the controls and then he beat me." Oluwaseyi Soyebo-Idowu, 50, who posed for a photo with the royal outside the venue, said: "I'm very excited... it was very nice to meet him. He was so humble, bringing himself down to ordinary level." The prince was met by a large crowd outside the venue, after word spread in the local area about his visit, with people surrounding him as he walked the short distance to his waiting car.
Sky News
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Prince William mobbed by selfie-hunters outside youth centre
The Prince of Wales was mobbed by passers-by after visiting a youth centre in south London on Thursday. The royal was hugged by well-wishers and posed for a series of selfies after visiting Mentivity in Walworth. The youth club, hailed as "fantastic" by the prince, aims to mentor and inspire young people to "achieve their full potential". During the visit, Prince William played video games with its members – losing a virtual football match but winning a Mario Kart race – and chatted with its founders and Rik Salmon, an executive from Spotify, which is working with Mentivity. Mr Salmon revealed afterwards that the royal had told him he used the music streaming platform to find new music and that it helped him to calm down. Meanwhile, Zia Adeniyi, 10, who raced the prince in Mario Kart, said: "He said he didn't know how to play it and he kept asking me the controls and then he beat me." Oluwaseyi Soyebo-Idowu, 50, who posed for a photo with the royal outside the venue, said: "I'm very excited... it was very nice to meet him. He was so humble, bringing himself down to ordinary level." The prince was met by a large crowd outside the venue, after word spread in the local area about his visit, with people surrounding him as he walked the short distance to his waiting car.
Telegraph
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Prince William ‘surprised' his father's playlist is not classical
The Prince of Wales has said he was 'surprised' his father's Apple Music playlist was not classical. Prince William was greeted with hugs and demands for selfies during a visit to Mentivity House youth club in south London on Thursday, where he proved himself a whizz at Mario Kart. He revealed he had been 'swatting up' and had watched a YouTube video about the organisation, directed by Adeyemi Michael in partnership with Spotify. Asked what he thought of the 17-song playlist released by the King recently for Apple Music Radio, the Prince laughed and said: 'I was expecting a lot of classical music so I was surprised.' The podcast, called The King's Music Room, included hits by Kylie Minogue, Bob Marley and Grace Jones. Mr Michael asked if he thought his father might have included some 'Garage and UK Funky', but William said: 'I'm not sure he'd know what that was.' The Prince said he often turned to music to relax if he'd had 'a bit of a day', adding: 'I regularly go to Spotify to hear new artists.' The Prince was dropped off around 150 yards from the community centre on the Aylesbury Estate near Elephant and Castle, and was greeted by Mentivity founder, Sayce Holmes-Lewis, who showed him the estate where he grew up. As they strolled down the street, one enthusiastic resident, Oluwaseyi Soyebo-Idowu, 50, accosted the Prince, wrapping her arms around him as she declared: 'Let me give you a hug. I see a prince! A king of England!' The Prince said: 'Do you want to come on the visit as well? Are we going to go around together?' Intercepted by someone else asking for a selfie, he said: 'Go for it, you've got to be quick.' Mentivity, founded in 2016, engages over 400 local young people weekly through mentoring programmes, school outreach and youth clubs. The south London centre opened in March 2024 and welcomes children and teenagers from the local community, often providing meals donated by local restaurants. The Prince took on a group of girls from the local Michael Faraday School at Mario Kart, proving a natural at the video game. He eventually beat 10-year-old Zia in a closely fought race. 'Brilliant!' he told her. 'Neck and neck the whole way. Well done, well played.' Later, the Prince also joined a group of teenagers to play a football video game, set up in his honour as a match between his team, Aston Villa, and Bayern Munich. 'I'll only be ten seconds, I'm terrible at this,' he said, before giving up when his team was losing 2-0. The Prince had a long and animated chat with a group of supporters and volunteers who work with the young people. Jess Ioannou, a senior mentor, said: 'I think he could see the passion and drive. He said that early intervention was one of the most important things to prevent issues down the line such as homelessness or worse.' Reiss Nelson, 25, the Arsenal footballer who is currently on loan to Fulham, is a long-time supporter of the organisation, having known Mr Holmes-Lewis since he was eight. 'He's been a big part of my life,' he said. 'Growing up in an area where there's not much going on. We are trying to give back. This is just the start, it's growing and helping so many kids get off the streets.' The Prince asked some of the children how often they visited the club and what they did to relax. 'As long as you've got that one thing you can go and do,' he said. 'We've all got different things.' He joked that Mr Holmes-Lewis, who is also 42, looked younger than him. 'You've aged well, you moisturise well,' he laughed. He was clearly impressed with the organisation, saying 'there should be one in every single town'. 'Not everyone has Mentivity on their doorstep,' he told a round-table discussion hosted by Tim Campbell, a former winner and current advisor on The Apprentice, the BBC One show. 'It feels like you guys are there for the wider life lessons, not just school. 'You are like life coaches, slash apprenticeships – that's what you guys are doing. It's so important.' The Prince added: 'Looking around the rest of the country, I can't think of a place that doesn't need a Mentivity, and that's troubling. How do you roll something like this out nationally?' He admitted that the visit had got his 'head spinning' and he already had a few ideas about how to offer support 'What can we do to build something bigger and have a bigger reach without diluting what you do? I'm already thinking about that,' he said. 'There are others like you, but very few. When I find them, I want to join all the dots.' As he left the centre after around 90 minutes, the Prince was mobbed by locals and posed for multiple selfies.
Daily Mirror
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Prince William admits surprise at King Charles decision as he's mobbed on return to duty
Prince William visited a youth club in South London in his first public engagement since the Easter break where he was asked about a recent move by his father King Charles Prince William admitted he was 'surprised' there was not more classical music on his father's Apple Music playlist as he visited a south London youth club on Thursday. The Prince of Wales was greeted with huge bear hugs and demands for endless selfies during a visit to Mentivity House on the Aylesbury Estate near Elephant and Castle, where he proved himself a whizz at Mario Kart. He revealed he had been "swatting up" and had watched a YouTube video about the organisation, made by director Adeyemi Michael in partnership with Spotify. Asked what he thought of the 17-strong playlist released by the King recently for Apple Music Radio, he laughed and said: "I was expecting a lot of classical music so I was surprised." The podcast, called The King's Music Room, included hits by Kylie Minogue, Bob Marley and Grace Jones. Mr Michael asked if he thought his father might have included some "Garage and UK Funky" but William said: "I'm not sure he'd know what that was." The Prince said he often turned to music to relax if he'd had "a bit of a day", adding: "I regularly go to Spotify to hear new artists". The Prince was dropped off around 150 metres from the community centre and was greeted by Mentivity founder, Sayce Holmes-Lewis, who showed him the estate where he grew up. As they strolled down the street, one enthusiastic resident, Oluwaseyi Soyebo-Idowu, 50, accosted the Prince, wrapping her arms around him as she declared: "Let me give you a hug. I see a Prince! A King of England!" The Prince said: "Do you want to come on the visit as well? Are we going to go around together?' Intercepted by someone else asking for a selfie, he said: 'Go for it, you've got to be quick." Mentivity, founded in 2016, engages over 400 local young people weekly through mentoring programmes, school outreach and youth clubs. The south London centre opened in March 2024 and welcomes children and teenagers from the local community, often providing meals donated by local restaurants. The Prince took on a group of girls from the local Michael Faraday School at Mario Kart, proving a natural at the game. He eventually beat 10-year-old Zia in a closely fought race. 'Brilliant!' he told her. 'Neck and neck the whole way. Well done, well played.' Later, the Prince also joined a group of teenagers to play a football game, set up in his honour as a match between his team, Aston Villa, and Bayern Munich. 'I'll only be ten seconds, I'm terrible at this,' he said, before giving up as his team was losing 2-0. The Prince had a long and animated chat with a group of supporters and volunteers who work with the young people. Jess Ioannou, a senior mentor, said: 'I think he could see the passion and drive. He said that early intervention was one of the most important things to prevent issues down the line such as homelessness or worse.' Arsenal football player Reiss Nelson, 25, who is currently on loan to Fulham, is a long time supporter of the organisation, having known Mr Holmes-Lewis since he was eight. 'He's been a big part of my life,' he said. 'Growing up in an area where there's not much going on.. We are trying to give back. This is just the start, it's growing and helping so many kids get off the streets.' The Prince asked some of the children how often they visited and what they did to relax.'As long as you've got that one thing you can go and do,' he said. 'We've all got different things.' He joked that Mr Holmes-Lewis, who is also 42, looked younger than him. 'You've aged well, you moisturise well,' he laughed. He was clearly impressed with the organisation, saying 'there should be one in every single town.' 'Not everyone has Mentivity on their doorstep,' he told a roundtable discussion hosted by Tim Campbell, a former winner and current advisor on The Apprentice. 'It feels like you guys are there for the wider life lessons, not just school. 'You are like life coaches, slash apprenticeships - that's what you guys are doing. It's so important.' The Prince added: 'Looking around the rest of the country, I can't think of a place that doesn't need a Mentivity, and that's troubling. How do you roll something like this out nationally?' He admitted that the visit had got his 'head spinning' and he already had a few ideas about how to offer support. 'What can we do to build something bigger and have a bigger reach without diluting what you do? I'm already thinking about that,' he said. 'There are others like you, but very few. When I find them, I want to join all the dots.' As he left the centre after around 90 minutes, the Prince was mobbed by locals and posed for multiple selfies. Get Royal Family updates straight to your WhatsApp! As the royals get back to their normal duties after a difficult year, the Mirror has launched its very own Royal WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest news on the UK's most famous family. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The Independent
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
William hugged by fans during visit to ‘fantastic' youth centre
The Prince of Wales was hugged and mobbed by south Londoners when he visited a 'fantastic' youth centre which he pledged to support. William was stopped in his tracks by a female fan who bounded over and asked for a hug as he walked towards the centre, and when he left the prince was surrounded by selfie-seeking well-wishers. The future King visited Mentivity, a youth club in Walworth that aims to go beyond teaching life skills and help children acquire the emotional and social tools needed for a digital world. He played computer games with youngsters – losing at football but winning a car race – and told an executive from Spotify, which is working with Mentivity, that he was surprised the King's recent Apple play list did not feature more classical music. When the prince arrived, Oluwaseyi Soyebo-Idowu, 50, waved at William to stop after she spotted him posing for a selfie with another member of the public and asked a passer-by to take a snap of them with her camera phone. Elevating William to the status of monarch, she said afterwards: 'I'm very excited, I've never seen a King – it was very nice to meet him. He was so humble, bringing himself down to ordinary level.' Later, William sat down for a discussion with Mentivity founders Sayce Holmes-Lewis and Leon Wright and some of their partners and told them: 'You've got a really dynamic team who get the local community and understand the challenges and that is really exciting.' He added: 'What can we do to take Mentivity and make it bigger, without diluting what you do – so I'm already thinking about that.'
