Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Champion Mental Health Awareness Week in Wolverhampton

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, recently visited Wolverhampton to support Mental Health Awareness Week.

The royal couple made their way to three local organizations that provide support for children and young people with their mental health and wellbeing.

They began their day at the Way Youth Zone, a group that motivates and inspires young people and provides opportunities for them to participate in constructive activities.

The couple made a coordinated appearance in matching blue outfits, with the Duchess opting for a polka dot cardigan over a scalloped collar shirt.

Catherine showed off her ping pong skills before getting her hands dirty alongside William as they potted a few plants.

The sporty couple rarely passes up the chance to take part in games with young people when they are on outings.

According to People's Magazine report, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took part in a series of wellbeing sessions with young people and met some ambassadors for the Head Start program, which is designed to improve the resilience and emotional wellbeing of children and young people by giving them the skills they need to address life's challenges.

They also grabbed their gardening gloves to join a group of children taking part in an exercise to highlight the importance of nature and outdoor activities to mental health.

During their visit, William and Catherine heard from Keisha, one of the young children who showed them around the centre.

She told reporters, “I asked them about their dog and what they do to be active.

They like to walk their dog and spend time with their kids.

They like to bake as well and make different foods with their family.

They asked questions about what I like to do.

I spoke about how I like to dance.

Catherine said how she loves to be in nature.

She likes to go on walks and is also interested in sport, as we saw outside with the table tennis.

They are very competitive.”

The Duke and Duchess's second visit was to the Base 25, a charity that has been operating for over 20 years to provide support for young people who have difficulties in accessing mainstream services.

The charity works with approximately 9,000 young people each year and offers a range of services for children, young people and their families, including counselling and a daily drop-in centre.

During the visit, their Royal Highnesses heard from a number of young people who used the Base 25 services about the impact of the charity support and met staff that delivered tailored outreach and support to the local community, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their final stop was at Hugglepets in the Community, a not-for-profit organization founded in 2018 which uses animal-assisted therapy to help children with SEN difficulties or those experiencing mental health challenges engage with therapy and wellbeing activities.

William and Catherine joined one of these sessions with a group of local schoolchildren from Loxdale Primary School.

At one point, smiling Catherine was seen looking very relaxed as she bonded with Barbara, the bearded dragon, and gave Gus, the guinea pig, a cuddle.

William also took a turn at holding little Gus, although he looked slightly less at ease.

The outing marks the second of several interventions William and Catherine are making as they highlight Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK.

On Monday, Catherine released a video of a touching call she made to a teen named Romy, who took part in the Duchess of Cambridge's Hold Still photo project, which highlighted life amid lockdown.

On Friday, the couple will lead voices from around the world in the Mental Health Minute, a special broadcast made to more than 20 million people via 500 radio stations.

This year's theme of Mental Health Awareness Week is around nature and the critical role it can play in helping to improve mental wellbeing, which is something Catherine has been a big proponent of in recent years.

The initiative will also support SHOUT!

85258, the UK's first free confidential text support service, which William and Catherine launched in May 2019.

It provides help for clinical supervisors and trained volunteers to talk to those facing problems.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are passionate about mental health and have made it a priority to raise awareness and provide support for those struggling with mental health challenges.

Their visit to Wolverhampton is just one of many ways they are championing this cause and making a difference in the lives of young people across the UK.