News and Events

BU lecturer meets HRH Duchess of Cornwall

22 October 2012

HRH Duchess of Cornwall meets a group of Osteoporosis sufferers at Clarence House – including Jo Hawkes (far right) – ahead of World Osteoporosis Day, which took place on Saturday. Photo credit to Guy Bell, guy@gbphotos.com

Sports science lecturer Jo Hawkes met Camilla at Clarence House, as part of World Osteoporosis Day.

A lecturer from Bournemouth University met with HRH Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as part of her new role as an ambassador for the National Osteoporosis Society.

Jo Hawkes, associate lecturer in Sport and Coaching Science in BU’s School of Tourism, has become a Chance to Shine Ambassador for the charity - helping to reach out to schoolchildren about exercise and healthy lifestyles, as part of a collaboration with the England Cricket Foundation.

Jo is currently working on PhD research looking into osteoporosis in pre–menopausal women. The condition makes bones fragile and prone to breakages.

She was invited to Clarence House last Thursday ahead of World Osteoporosis Day, which took place on October 20.

Jo discussed her research and experiences with the Duchess of Cornwall herself.

“It was an amazing day,” Jo said.

“You could tell instantly that HRH was passionate about the cause, understandably so as her mother had died of the condition.

“She was incredibly well informed on the latest research and took great care in asking about each person’s experiences and was genuinely concerned about increasing awareness of the condition.”

The Duchess of Cornwall is president of the National Osteoporosis Society, and Jo attended Clarence House with other guests who have experienced fragility bone fractures.

The charity is taking part in the Unbreakable Embrace campaign, established by the International Osteoporosis Foundation to demonstrate an unbreakable chain of support for people with osteoporosis.

Jo, and other guests, joined with the Duchess of Cornwall, to have a photo taken as part of the campaign.

Jo added: “With a cracking sense of humour, HRH was an absolute pleasure to meet.

“We discussed my experiences, the silent premenopausal epidemic which is building and, more specifically, my PhD research – which provides a patient voice to the previously biomedical and quantitatively dominant research on the condition.”