ON this day in 2015, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were welcomed by crowds in Denbigh during their visit to a project championing mental health and wellbeing.
As part of a North Wales tour, the Royals visited Mind Cymru projects in the area, including Denbigh Men's Sheds, which collaborates with the charity.
Staff and members of the group, which supports men and a few women who have faced mental health difficulties, expressed their delight at the visit from Prince William and Kate at Trefeirian in Love Lane.
The project aimed to reintegrate sometimes marginalised or isolated individuals back into the community, providing them with a safe and understanding environment to share their thoughts and experiences.
There was also an opportunity for participants to learn skills such as woodwork or gardening, which the Duke and Duchess were eager to hear about.
Angus Shaw, from Denbigh Men's Sheds, described the visit from such high-profile guests as a "once in a lifetime opportunity."
He added: "Men's Sheds has a great ethos and the fact that these two have taken an interest in it is incredible.
"It will do wonders for the profile of the Denbigh group and the project as a whole."
Nathan Sarea, co-ordinator for Denbigh Men's Sheds, emphasised the group's importance, stating: "This group is about saving lives, that's what it can do for people.
"It's a brotherhood, it gives people peer support, a community and a family."
Earlier in the day, the couple arrived in Caernarfon Town Centre, where hundreds had gathered to greet them.
Sara Moseley, director of Mind Cymru, remarked: "It’s an honour to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Mind’s projects in Wales, reinforcing our shared commitment to ensuring everyone with a mental health problem gets the support and respect they deserve."
She further noted: "The Duke and Duchess have repeatedly focussed global attention on mental wellbeing in recent months, echoing Mind’s ongoing determination to end the stigma that surrounds mental health problems."
During their visit, they also met with GISDA, a charity supporting younger people.
GISDA chairman and Gwynedd County Councillor Tudor Owen shared: "They met the young people at GISDA and spent time talking to them in a very friendly, quite relaxed way.
"The children were talking well and asking questions too, which was good to see.
"It was lovely to see them here and to show what we are doing as a charity."
The Royal couple interacted with students from Coleg Menai Bangor and Parc Menai campuses at Ynys Môn and Gwynedd Mind.
These students had used art as a means of expressing their mental health experiences and raising public awareness about issues affecting young people today.
The Duke and Duchess had previously lived on Anglesey for three years while Prince William was stationed as a search and rescue pilot at RAF Valley.
They returned for a visit in 2013 for the launch of the Ring O Fire Round Anglesey run.
This article was first published in the Rhyl Journal on November 20, 2015.
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