The Princess of Wales has joined visitors being checked by a drug detection dog as she began a tour of addiction services in a prison.
Kate also joked about her strapped-up fingers after using a trampoline, as she spoke to the parents of an ex-offender who joined her on the visit to HMP High Down in Sutton, Surrey.
The princess, who is patron of addiction charity The Forward Trust, visited the Category C prison to see its work helping those in the criminal justice system recover from addiction.
As she went through an entrance used by around 2,000 visitors a month, she was shown the reaction of black labrador Penny when something is found.
Kate said: “Amazing. It’s incredible, it’s very calm and controlled. It’s not intimidating.”
The trip on Tuesday came ahead of Addiction Awareness Week in October, with this year’s theme Everybody Knows Somebody aiming to highlight the range of people in society affected by the issue.
The princess, wearing a blue suit and matching blue heels, also met serving prisoners receiving support for their addiction at High Down before visiting the prison’s award-winning restaurant, The Clink.
She spoke with inmates being trained in hospitality, complimenting them on the “delicious” looking food and meeting families working with The Forward Trust.
Richard Stephenson, who was a client of The Forward Trust more than 20 years ago and recovered from his own addiction, was there with his family to meet Kate.
The NHS service manager, known as Steff, said: “It’s really important people from different genres take interest and ask questions.
Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial
Sign up
Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial
Sign up
“It’s about believing people can change… I’m a professional now. It’s really important to come from that and meet someone who may be a future queen.”
Mark Ash, an ex-inmate of HMP High Down who has recovered from his addiction and works with The Forward Trust to support others, also spoke with Kate.
He welcomed seeing someone in a high-status position highlighting addiction, adding: “When someone like Kate puts herself on that platform people are going to listen because she’s the Princess of Wales.
“It’s honourable of her to want to step in.”
Kate became a patron for The Forward Trust in 2021 when the charity merged with Action on Addiction, which was one of the first charities she became a patron of in 2012.
The trust works in 25 prisons across the UK, helping people address issues including substance misuse, mental health, housing and employment for those leaving prison, and improving relationships with friends and family, including children.
High Down governor Emily Martin said of the princess: “She’s very natural and clearly genuinely interested which I think it’s really important.”
She added that Kate was “genuinely curious and wants to help”.
Ms Martin said: “I think prison visits, it’s an interesting place, because not an awful lot is known about prisons. It’s really nice to get some positive press and for her to see some of the good work [we’re] trying to achieve.”
Credit: Source link
