Garon Park welcomed a very special visitor today as Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales visited Southend to highlight the importance of supporting people affected by addiction.

The Princess visited Garon Park during Addiction Awareness Week as part of a national campaign encouraging greater understanding of addiction and helping more people feel able to seek support.

During her visit, The Princess met staff, volunteers and people supported by The Forward Trust’s Southend Treatment and Recovery Service (STARS), hearing first-hand about their experiences of addiction, recovery and the support available within the community.

The visit also showcased Forward Growing, a new community initiative launched this spring in partnership with Garon Park. The project uses gardening, nature and outdoor activities to support recovery and wellbeing, offering weekly sessions designed to help participants build confidence, develop connections and reconnect with the natural environment.

Mike Trace, Chief Executive of The Forward Trust, said:

“We were delighted to welcome HRH The Princess of Wales to Southend today to see the brilliant work of our STARS service and their new initiative Forward Growing, which uses nature and gardening to support recovery and wellbeing.

“The Princess also joined our Big Addiction Conversation event, one of a series of initiatives taking place over the next year to make addiction something more people feel able to talk about.

“The Big Addiction Conversation aims to spark 17,000 conversations over the course of the next year, one for every life lost to alcohol and drug-related causes in the UK annually.”

During her time at Garon Park, The Princess spoke about the important role the outdoors can play in recovery, describing access to nature as “so vital for healing”. She also highlighted the importance of understanding the underlying causes of addiction and creating an environment in which people feel comfortable talking openly about their experiences.

Norman Garon Trust Chief Executive Karl Hepple said the visit was an incredibly proud moment for everyone associated with Garon Park.

“Today was a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the work of The Forward Trust and its Forward Growing initiative.

“As a Trust, we feel strongly about the role Garon Park plays within our community. We are incredibly proud to share our home with so many fantastic charities, organisations and community groups, each making their own valuable contribution to the people of Southend.

“To welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales to Garon Park and give her the opportunity to see some of that work first-hand was a very special moment for us.”

The Princess also met people with lived experience of addiction, including Steph Sampson, who is now a peer mentor at STARS after receiving support through The Forward Trust.

Steph, who has been sober for more than six months, said:

“Recovery has given me my life back, and I want others to know it is possible too.

“I would not be where I am today without STARS and the support they helped me access, and I am excited for the future.”

The Princess of Wales has been Patron of The Forward Trust since 2021 and has consistently championed greater understanding of addiction and the importance of tackling the stigma that can prevent people from seeking help.

Her visit provided an opportunity not only to highlight the work of The Forward Trust and STARS, but also to demonstrate the important role Garon Park continues to play as a home for organisations working to improve the health, wellbeing and lives of people across Southend.