Stretching out his arms and looking beseechingly upwards, this is the moment that 16-month-old Noah Ginesi from Penrith in Cumbria reached out for a hug with Prince Charles. The heart-warming moment occurred during a visit to the Rheged Centre in Cumbria, where the Prince of Wales was meeting farmers and charity staff. Charles, who is grandfather to 20-month-old Prince George and has another grandchild on the way, looked delighted and bent down to talk to the little boy who was held by his mother, Genevieve. Scroll down for video . Adorable: One-year-old Noah Ginesi, from Penrith in Cumbria, reaches up for a hug with Prince Charles . The prince was making his first stop on a day-long tour of Cumbria, with rural communities and businesses topping his agenda. Clearly on good form, Charles was visiting the Rheged Centre to inspect a photo exhibition entitled Herdwick: A Portrait of a Lakeland. The work of photographer Ian Lawson, many of the photos feature Herdwick sheep, a breed native to Cumbria and whose name comes from the Old Norse herdvyck - sheep pasture. Charles' visit came as part of his work for the Campaign for Wool and The Prince's Countryside Fund. The former is one of the prince's environmental initiatives and promotes the use of British wool in everything from clothing to furniture. Much obliged: Charles bent down to coo over the infant but didn't pick him up . Jovial: The Prince of Wales was on cheerful form and chatted happily with locals . Warm welcome: Prince Charles, who was wearing a tailored tweed coat, got a warm welcome from locals . It also stages an annual Wool Week which gives a platform to textile producers and farmers, and is enthusiastically endorsed by Charles. The prince's eco credentials have come under scrutiny of late, with the subject believed to be one of those broached in his infamous 'spider letters'. Charles has also been criticised for his use of helicopters, after it emerged on Monday that he had used a chopper for an 80 mile round-trip to Ascot racecourse from Highgrove on Sunday. Getting to that event, The Prince’s Countryside Fund Raceday which included a 'Lamb National' race, used up 200 gallons of fuel and came hot on the heels of a video recorded for Earth Day in which he implored viewers to use less fuel. Today, however, saw him return to travelling by car, with Charles whizzing through an official day of visits and meetings with the Cumbrian farming community. His second stop, which was also in conjunction with The Prince's Countryside Fund, saw him meet members of the Westmorland County Agricultural Society, one of the oldest in the country, and locals working for other country charities. Looking around: Charles was given a tour of the exhibition by photographer Ian Lawson (right) Conservation: The photo exhibition focused on a traditional breed of sheep native to Cumbria . Native: The Herdwick sheep has lived in Cumbria for more than 1,000 years . Passion: The Prince of Wales was there as part of his work for the Campaign for Wool . Among them was the Dry Stone Walling Association, which safeguards the UK's network of historic dry stone walls, and Broadband for the Rural North. Fast internet connection remains a real problem in many rural spots, including those close to London such as parts of Bedfordshire, but is particularly acute in more remote areas. Charles is known to be particularly sympathetic to the cause of high speed rural broadband, in particular because of the limit on job creation that slow internet speeds and dial up connections create. The prince's final stop was at furniture makers Peter Hall & Son where he was introduced to some of the Prince's Trust apprentices who work there. Beautiful:  Along with Herdwick sheep, Lawson's work also features the spectacular Cumbria landscape . Rural life: Charles, who lives in the country himself, has long championed the UK's rural communities . All smiles: Prince Charles poses with a group from Cumbria's Young Farmers .
Noah Ginesi, 16 months, reached for a hug when Prince Charles appeared.
A delighted Charles chatted appreciatively to the boy's mother Genevieve.
The encounter took place during a visit to the Rheged Centre in Cumbria.
Charles is touring the county to promote his farming and rural charities.