The Princess of Wales has praised the “really precious” work of a youth intervention charity during a visit.
Kate met with frontline staff and young people at Streets of Growth in Aldgate on Tuesday.
She said she was keen to “connect the dots” with her work on early childhood, and stressed the need to meet with families and young people “before it gets to crisis point”.
The charity, established in 2001, specialises in targeted outreach and intervention to re-engage young people aged 15 to 25 at risk of isolation, exploitation, violence and crime.
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Kate was greeted by Streets of Growth founder Darren Way and spoke of her admiration for large communal spaces and “places where everyone can come together to be creative - it’s really precious”.
She spoke to eight workers from the charity about whether a stigma still existed around mental health, and the needs of young people today.
Kate met two sets of mothers and daughters to speak about the support they have received, and how she thought the charity offered “something that young people are craving”.
The families showed her jewellery and footwear designs made possible by Streets of Growth’s creative workshops, which the princess described as “really beautiful”.
She also joined young people engaged in a mental health session styled as a podcast, with social media and body image under discussion.
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