Charity founded by Prince Charles wants to help Sierra Leone

The architectural charity founded by Prince Charles wants to help regenerated the civil war-ravaged capital of Sierra Leone.

The next in line to the throne’s Foundation for the Built Environment has been working closely with authorities in the West African nation’s capital Freetown to aid in rebuilding the city, which was severely damaged in the 11 year conflicted which ended in 2002.

Next year, Prince Charles hopes that his foundation would bring together key representatives from the country at a conference, known as an inquiry by design, to discuss the best plans for regenerating the poorest areas of the capital.

At a conference held in central London to showcase the African nation’s potential for international investors, the Prince, who visited the country in 2006, met with Sierra Leone’s President, Dr Ernest Bai Koroma , to discuss the next stages of the Foundation’s work.

Chief executive of the Foundation, Hank Dittmar, said that following the 2006 scoping, the Prince’s Foundation had continued to work with the Mayor of Freetown and the Government of Sierra Leone to look for ways to undertake an inquiry by design for the regeneration of communities in Freetown.

Dittmar went on to say that the Foundation hoped an inquiry by design would take place next year.

Many of the main landmarks in the capital survived the civil war, but a shanty town of slums built up on the fringes of the coast city.

Former British PM Tony Blair co-organised today’s conference and his African Government Initiative charity had been working with President Koroma’s administration for over a year.