Duchess of Cornwall listens to children read as part of Silver Stories charity

Ollie and Tegan read books to The Duchess of Cornwall

The Duchess of Cornwall has been enjoying story time from children, as she becomes patron of a charity.

The Silver Stories charity encourages children to read to the elderly to help with loneliness.

Camilla was treated to a telephone story time from 10-year-old Tegan and 11-year-old Ollie. They read from Roald Dahls'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and David Walliams' The Ice Monster.

Camilla praised both children for their brilliant reading, she told Ollie: "You should be an actor. You do all the voices so well."

Ollie told The Duchess that he used to read very quickly, but has changed since becoming a Silver reader and Camilla told him she too had changed her reading style.

Camilla told him: "I used to read very, very fast. When I made a speech, I used to talk very, very fast and then you have to take a deep breath and slow down and look at the commas and full stops."

At the end of her call with the children, Her Royal Highness said, "Thank you very much indeed and I am sure you will help the older generation so much by reading to them."

Silver Stories was set up to help the elderly with loneliness

Silver Stories was set up to help older people with loneliness and encourage children to love reading.

Founder Elisabeth Carney-Haworth wanted to give children a wider reading experience so they could read with purpose and to someone who wouldn't judge them.

She said: "Silver Stories really is magical, it's so very special to build that relationship with a child, to hear a child read, to hear them become immersed in a tale and blossom as a storyteller."

One Silver listener described how important the charity has been to them. "I am blind so phone calls work really well and especially through winter it was great to have that contact and with a young person. I love it" they said.

They spoke about their reader saying: "He's a lovely boy. He's so polite. I love listening to him. He's been ringing for three months.

"I sit down ready at 10am on a Saturday really excited."

The charity has eight schools involved across Cornwall, Wales and other parts of England.