HER Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge will visit two Action for Children services in Gwent this month.

The visits will be the first official engagements for the Duchess with the charity since taking over the role of Royal Patron in December from Her Majesty The Queen.

The Duchess on February 22 will visit Torfaen's Multi-disciplinary Intervention Service (MIST) and Caerphilly's Family Intervention Team (FIT). She will receive an introduction to Action for Children’s specialised work in supporting young people and families in Wales, and across the UK who encounter a number of serious challenges such as mental health problems and behavioural issues.

The charity runs community-based services throughout the country, which support over 390,000 children, young people and families.

Her Royal Highness will meet young people and families at both services who have faced a range of challenging circumstances and learn how the charity has helped them develop strategies that clearly improve their lives and lead to better family relationships. The Duchess will sit in on a private family therapy session and take part in a round-table discussion with young people and their families on the issues they face and the critical support Action for Children provides.

Escorting the Duchess on the visits will be the chief executive of Action for Children, Sir Tony Hawkhead.

He said: “We are thrilled to welcome Her Royal Highness back to Action for Children, now as our new Royal Patron, and introduce The Duchess to the specialised work we do with families in Torfaen and Caerphilly to develop emotional wellbeing in children and give them the confidence and self-belief to fulfil their potential.

“We are very grateful to Her Royal Highness for her continued interest in the vital work we do, not just in Wales, but at our 600 services across the UK. It is challenging work but our passionate and dedicated teams make a profound difference to the lives of those who need it most in our communities.”