FINAL preparations are underway to welcome Princess Anne to Ellesmere in Shropshire on Wednesday.

As Patron of Save the Children, the Princess Royal will make a semi-private visit to The Lyth country house on the edge of the town, birthplace of the charity’s founders, Elantyne Jebb and her sister, Dorothy Buxton.

She will also visit the Jebb Memorial Garden, which was created alongside the Mere, to celebrate the charity’s centenary in 2019.

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Both engagements are listed online in the Royal Diary, but timings have not been released.

The visit is in response to a joint invitation by the Jebb family, Save the Children’s Ellesmere fund-raising branch and the Ellesmere Sculpture Initiative.

The volunteer group has led the Jebb Garden community arts, education and research project, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England, local councils, schools, businesses and other organisations.

Sculpture group chairman, Len Graham said: “We’re proud and grateful that The Princess Royal has found time in her busy schedule to accept our invitation to visit the Jebb Garden.

Border Counties Advertizer: The Jebb Memorial Garden. The Jebb Memorial Garden. (Image: John Shone.)

“This has been a wide-ranging project, involving all sectors of the community.

“Everyone who has contributed should rightly feel proud to receive this recognition.

“As Patron, the Princess has been a dedicated, hard-working supporter of Save the Children for more than 50 years.

“We hope this visit will help to raise awareness of the vital work that the charity carries out around the world.

“And also remind everyone that it all began here in Ellesmere –with the humanity and vision of two determined sisters with a strong social conscience, who are too-often forgotten”.

This year, Save the Children is marking another anniversary –100 years since the League of Nations adopted the 1924 Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child.

The Jebb Garden, about a mile away, is part of the Cremorne Gardens beauty spot, one of Shropshire’s busiest outdoor recreational attractions and the beginning of the Ellesmere Sculpture Trail.

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The garden features various artworks and an interactive labyrinth that is popular with children. Information boards tell the sisters’ remarkable story, with a timeline history of Save the Children.

Gemma Sherrington, interim chief executive of Save the Children UK, said: “Eglantyne Jebb and her sister Dorothy Buxton’s lifelong dedication to campaign and advocate for children’s rights is the reason that Save the Children exists today.

“The Jebb Memorial Garden was created to celebrate their pioneering work and commitment to transforming the lives of millions of children across the globe.”