William and Kate in Surprise Wales Visit
Prince and Princess of Wales championing mental health initiatives
Last updated 28th Feb 2023
William and Kate are on a whistle stop tour of South Wales today.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are championing mental health initiatives and meeting local communities.
They've visited Brynawel Rehab Centre in Pontyclun to hear about the work they do to support those struggling with the effects of drug and alcohol addiction.
The Centre has been delivering a range of support programmes in Wales for over 40 years including a programme for people with Alcohol Related Brain Damage and specialist therapy courses to help clients improve their mental health.
During the visit, The Prince and Princess met clients at the Centre and their families and learned about how the current garden facilities and the outdoors are used as part of their therapy.
Their Royal Highnesses also saw the plans for new therapy allotments and a garden which are being created thanks to the support given to social enterprise Life at No.27 by The Royal Foundation as part of its “community impact” pilots. Over time, Life at No.27 intend to create six therapy allotments and gardens across South Wales that will deliver mental health support to local communities.
Also on their tour is Aberavon Leisure centre where they've been meeting local people to see how sport and exercise supports people's mental health.
Aberavon Leisure & Fitness Centre opened in 2016 and offers a range of physical activities to promote a healthy lifestyle for local people in Aberavon.
At the centre, Their Royal Highnesses toured the facilities including a large indoor sports hall where young people and Welsh professional athletes including Harrison Walsh and Hannah Brier were taking part in an athletics and gymnastics session. Other facilities include a spin studio and an eight lane 25m swimming pool with a moveable floor.
Upon leaving the centre The Prince and Princess will spend some time meeting members of the public gathered outside.
And from there, they are heading to Dafen to the headquarters of the Wales Air Ambulance charity to meet emergency workers, volunteers and supporters.
The charity, which was founded in 2001, has completed over 43,000 missions and is on standby 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
During the visit, Their Royal Highnesses will meet emergency workers, volunteers and supporters and will hear about their recent operations across Wales.
The Prince and Princess will also have the opportunity during the engagement to speak to emergency workers about the importance of prioritising their own mental health.
Following this, The Prince and Princess will officially open a new family room which has been designed by a bereaved family who lost their father in a tragic road accident. The room has been created as a safe space for families, nurses and volunteers and The Prince and Princess will sit down with the family who designed the room, along with the nurses and volunteers who have helped them since losing their father.
Mental health support for emergency responders has long been a passion for The Prince of Wales, who in 2021 announced the launch of the Blue Light Together package of mental health support at The Royal Foundation Emergency Services Mental Health Symposium. The Prince of Wales has also previously served as both an Air Ambulance and an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot.