The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were reunited in Scotland when Kate joined William for the first time during his tour of the nation.
The couple visited north Lanarkshire to learn about the work of a leading social care charity helping to tackle issues like addiction and mental health and break cycles of crime and addiction.
Turning Point Scotland are working to break down cycles of crime and addiction — today The Duke and Duchess visited their centre in North Lanarkshire to hear about the vital support that the organisation provides to those facing complex and challenging situations. pic.twitter.com/15NkjY2yn7
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) May 24, 2021
William and Kate visited Turning Point Scotland’s (TPS) centre in Coatbridge to meet people supported by the organisation’s Turnaround service.
Turnaround delivers targeted programmes to address the complex problem of offending and alcohol and drug misuse which can perpetuate a cycle of reoffending.
Speaking to recovering users, William said the key turning point often comes “When somebody else (is) taking actual proper interest in your life”.
He went on to say: “Of course, so many times people come and go, don’t they, when you’re looking for help, and you get sent to God knows how many different organisations, and you get passed to the next one.
“But what is crucial is how you capture that big net in one go that really matters, which is what you guys do here.”
One of TPS’s team helped develop GORT after the death of two close friends, and he highlighted in the video call how bootlegged sedatives known as “street benzos” are a growing problem and can be 50 times more powerful then previous batches.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge talk to service users during a visit to Turning Point Scotland’s social care centre in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire (Phil Noble/PA)
During their visit William and Kate also joined a video call with staff and service users from TPS’s Glasgow Overdose Response Team.
The couple were told how the service works to reduce drug-related deaths by providing real-time crisis support for those who have experienced a near-fatal overdose.
Neil Richardson, chief executive of Turning Point Scotland, said the drugs became prevalent during the pandemic.
“People were using pill presses, that were creating all sorts of cocktails of horribleness, and people were dying as a result. There were various episodes where you see spikes in deaths.”
William and Kate were told that under the GORT initiative frontline workers and recovering addicts were providing real-time crisis support for people who have experienced a near fatal overdose.
Funded by, and developed in partnership with, the Drug Deaths Taskforce, the service began operating in December 2020 and has quickly delivered highly promising early results, leading to a planned fast-tracked rollout of services to other regions in Scotland.
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