A NEWCASTLE Emlyn-based charity has welcomed the moves by Prince William and Prince Harry to speak out on mental health issues.

HUTS Workshop, at Teifi Terrace, Adpar, is the only charity of its kind in West Wales supporting adults with mental health challenges. It has been established more than 20 years and helps people with mental health challenges and learning disabilities in Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

And now the charity hopes that by speaking so openly, the two royal princes will help promote better understanding of mental health.

“Here at HUTS we applaud the recent open and frank conversations the Princes William and Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge have been having about mental health, and more importantly, about ‘their’ mental health,” said HUTS befriending co-ordinator Kim Bacon.

“Being in the public eye, having access to the best medical care, having a large circle of friends doesn’t mean that you won’t experience poor mental health.

“It can affect anyone. By speaking openly about mental ill health, HUTS and other organisations like ours hope to make mental health something that can be openly talked about without fear of prejudice and judgement.

“We want to make it possible for people experiencing difficult times to have no fear of speaking out about how they are feeling, how they are struggling.

“HUTS offers not only the opportunity to experience activities like pottery and cookery but we are also here to offer social support in a friendly, non-judgemental environment, where people can just be themselves regardless of their challenge.

“The Duke of Cambridge speaks of the death of his mother, Princess Diana, nearly 20 years ago. The natural shock he felt then is still something that he lives with today.

“Prince Harry speaks of his near breakdown only recently despite it being so long after her death.

“People are often afraid to talk about their feelings for fear of being judged. People feel they will be labelled if they admit they have a mental health problem.

“Poor mental health can affect anyone at any time. By speaking about our mental health sooner rather than later more people can begin their journey towards recovery.

“Together with the ‘Heads Together’ campaign, the young royals are hoping that by speaking openly about their own challenges, people will feel more able to speak of theirs.”

HUTS employs 11 full and part-time staff, along with volunteers, and is helping more than 100 people through its services and activities such as pottery, woodwork, cookery, IT and all manner of crafting.

The charity also offers a Big Lottery-funded home befriending service throughout South Ceredigion, which aims to provide individuals suffering from mental ill health and who are socially isolated the chance to grow in confidence.

“Throughout life we encounter challenges. Sometimes the challenges we face are ones we can cope with, other days the challenge in front of us is something we find difficult to cope with,” said Kim.

“Throw into the mix the fact that sometimes those same challenges we found easy to deal with in the past have now become ones we see no way around.

“People with poor mental health deal with challenges every day, some days they sail through them other days they are completely disabled by them. It might not be because of something that is happening to them right now either. It can often be something in their past that they thought they were coping with that affects them years later.

“Take the loss of a loved one. Our individual road to recovery is going to be different and is going to take a different amount of time. It can also be something that we never really recover from.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry are spearheading the Heads Together campaign – the adopted charity of the 2017 London Marathon - to end stigma around mental health.

Heads Together aims to change the national conversation on mental health and wellbeing, and is a partnership with charities with decades of experience in tackling stigma, raising awareness, and providing vital help for people with mental health challenges.

For more information on HUTS Workshop go to http://www.hutsworkshop.org or call 01239 710377.