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Catherine meets recovering addicts on garden visit

News imageReuters Catherine, princess of Wales, dressed in a grey and blue Tweed-style jacket and dark top smiles in the centre of the image. She has long brown hair. She is sitting at an outdoor round table, on which are plastic gardening pots and hand tools in a purple bucket. A man with a shaved head to the right, and a blonde-haired woman, to the left, are seated at the same table, their backs to the camera. Both are wearing dark clothing. Reuters
The princess met with people learning gardening skills as part of their recovery

Catherine, Princess of Wales revealed her husband's green-fingered side as she visited a garden and met people recovering from addiction.

As patron of the Forward Trust - a charity that supports recovering addicts - she spent time at its new green space in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

The princess described the planting area at Garon Park as a "fantastic space" as she chatted with people who use the garden to connect with nature.

"I should have my husband here, he knows a lot [about gardening], he's really passionate," she told Liam King, who leads conservation at the park.

When asked if she does any gardening, the princess said "a little bit".

The garden, called Forward Growing, encourages people on the Forward Trust's local treatment and recovery service to have a go at growing.

The social justice charity supports people to recover from addiction or leave behind crime, helping them move on in life with family, friends, jobs, homes, and a sense of belonging.

Catherine's visit marked Addiction Awareness Week, which she also supports. The national initiative runs until Friday.

News imagePA Media Catherine, Princess of Wales, facing the camera but partially obscured, puts her right arm around a woman's shoulders to pull her into a hug. She has long brown hair and a grey Tweed-style jacket. The woman has her back to the camera. She has shoulder-length brown hair, glasses and a cream top.PA Media
Catherine chatted with people who use the service

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