After shining the spotlight on foster care and mental health in young people earlier this month, the Duchess of Cambridge will highlight another issue close to her heart in an engagement on Thursday 10 December – helping those who struggle with addiction.
As patron of Action on Addiction, Kate will visit the charity's Centre for Addiction Treatment Studies in Warminster, Wiltshire.
The Duchess will see how the centre provides training, education and professional development for those working in addiction and other related fields.
© Photo: PAAs patron of Action on Addiction, Kate will visit their Centre for Addiction Treatment Studies
She will meet course tutors and examiners and learn about their training, before joining a ceremony to celebrate the graduation of students from the Foundation and Honours degree programmes accredited by the University of Bath.
The Centre, in partnership with the University, trains addiction counsellors to a higher standard than ever before. It has long been recognised that the addiction treatment field suffers from an inadequately trained workforce.
So far 200 people have graduated from the Centre and during her forthcoming engagement Kate will no doubt want to congratulate the successful graduates of this year. Over 60 per cent of students have disclosed either a family connection or declared themselves in recovery.
Kate will also receive an update on the local M-PACT programmes which take a whole family approach to tackling substance misuse, meeting families and participants and hearing about the charity's work with the children of addicted parents.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Duchess will learn about the training that staff undertake, to help those battling addiction
Prince William's wife has visited a number of Action on Addiction's services and has seen addiction treatment of individuals and families first hand.
Tim Leighton, director of professional education and research at Action on Addiction, said that staff were "delighted" that Kate is keen to visit the Centre to find out more about the people who help those suffering with addiction.
The royal's last engagement with the charity was in September, when Kate visited a women's prison in Surrey. The Duchess met inmates who are battling addictions to drugs and alcohol and later said she was "grateful" to the women "for sharing their difficult personal stories".
"I was reminded today how addictions lie at the heart of so many social issues and how substance misuse can play such destructive role in vulnerable people's lives," said Kate. "I saw again today that a failure to intervene early in life to tackle mental health problems and other challenges can have profound consequences for people throughout their lives."
