Whitby community group tells William and Kate about impact of Cost of Living crisis

David Owen from Flash Company Arts talks to the Prince and Princess of Wales - Picture Credit: Charlotte Graham - Daily Telegraph

The Royal Couple were in town to launch a new fund launched to leave a lasting legacy of support for young people’s mental health across the borough.

The event at The Street, was hosted by the Two Ridings Community Foundation and culminated in the launch of £345,000 of funding to provide long term support for young people’s mental health.

Their Royal Highnesses met a panel of young people to discuss what helps them and their friends thrive, and engaged with three local charitable organisations, including Whitby’s Flash Company Arts.

Rebecca Denniff from Flash Company Arts tells the Prince and Princess of Wales about the work they are doing in Whitby. Picture Credit: Charlotte Graham - Daily Telegraph

Rebecca Denniff of Flash Company Arts said: “"Katherine was really interested in the effects of the Cost of Living crisis on young people and whether it has been worse since the pandemic.

“I told her that we’ve found people are more prepared to say they’re not okay.

"We’re delighted to raise the profile of the community and really pleased to be benefitting from it.”

"William was really interested in talking about the food crisis and how that impacted on wellbeing.

The Royal couple enjoyed learning about the work of Flash Company Arts - Image: James Drury Photography

“I’m hoping there will be a huge rise in the profile of the people we work with.

“We have a youth session every Wednesday from 5.30pm-7.00pm at Flowergate Hall and we want to encourage young people to come along.

“We had to speak to the donors as well, we went straight to talking to them from the Royals and argued the case for the people of Whitby to have more investment.”

After speaking with the community groups, the Prince and Princess met and talked to local investors of the Two Ridings Community Foundation whose generous donations will fund the long-term support.

William and Kate are introduced to David Owen, Violet Denniff, Dom Green and Rebecca Denniff of Flash Company Arts - Picture Credit: Charlotte Graham - Daily Telegraph

For the donors, understanding the difference their donations make and seeing it in the room was a powerful moment.

Amanda Berry, CEO, The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales said: “Ensuring that young people have access to a wide range of mental health support is something that The Prince and Princess of Wales feel extremely passionate about.

"Tackling the stigma around mental health and ensuring that help is there for those who need it continues to be one of society’s biggest issues.”