The Princess of Wales visits Dame Kelly Holmes Trust

The organisation puts world class athletes shoulder to shoulder with young people to pass on their winning mindset and provide coaching and mentoring, helping those who are facing adversity to develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed in education, work and life.

Her Royal Highness was joined on her visit by presenter, documentary maker and mental health advocate, Zara McDermott, who is one of the Shaping Us campaign champions.

The campaign aims to raise public awareness of the crucial importance of the first five years of a child’s life, during which time our brains develop faster than any other time of our lives.

Our experiences, relationships, and surroundings at that very young age, lay the foundations for the rest of our lives which is why building a supportive nurturing world around children and their carers is so important.

But not everyone has positive experiences during this time and crucially it is never too late to make a difference. Adolescence is another period of significant development and rapid growth and our teenage years represent another key period where the right support can create lasting positive change.

Supporting young people to be able to learn how to express, understand and manage emotions, as well as responding to others’ feelings and needs, can help to build meaningful and lasting relationships, and develop self-confidence and the capacity to cope with life’s challenges.

During her visit, The Princess spent time with students from St Katherine’s School in Bristol who are taking part in the On Track To Achieve programme, delivered by their athlete mentor, Paralympic gold medallist Liz Johnson. Her Royal Highness heard from the pupils about their personal experiences and some of the challenges that young people face today, and how working with an athlete mentor has supported them to better express their emotions, build resilience, and promote positive mental health and wellbeing.