Catherine stresses importance of mothers' mental health during rainy Wales visit

Catherine, Princess of Wales has talked about her passion for mothers' mental health during a rainy visit to mid Wales.

In Newtown, Powys, she met with members of Mums Matter, a perinatal service for women experiencing mental health problems linked to early motherhood.

Ella Hopkins, 25, who started volunteering with the service after fleeing domestic violence with her 10-month-old son Marcus, described her as "absolutely incredible".

"She got really invested, she was asking lots of questions, you could tell she thought it was an important thing to be focusing on," she said.

"She definitely said that it's something that she said felt passionate about, parents being able to be committed and devoted through their own stability," Hopkins said.

Catherine and the Prince of Wales were visiting Wales ahead of St David's Day on Sunday.

The pair first travelled to The Hanging Gardens in Llanidloes, a community project focused on resilience and creativity, before going on to visit an art gallery in Newtown.

They arrived at the first venue to cheers from crowds who had gathered outside despite the wet weather, many waving Welsh flags and holding bunches of daffodils.

At the end of their visit they also stopped to spend 25 minutes in the heavy rain chatting to well-wishers, with Catherine giving high-fives and hugs and William posing for selfies.

The pair ordered hot drinks at the Llanidloes cafe before sitting down to chat with people making Welsh language festival signs.

The prince and princess, both wearing daffodils on their lapels, also visited a forge and met nursery children aged three and four waiting with signs they had drawn.

They greeted Ollie Jones, 21, and watched him make a hook before going to the centre's performing arts space to see schoolchildren perform Welsh songs.

The couple went on to producers in the adjoining market - with William sampling a glass of cider - before going into the kitchen where traditional cawl and Welsh cakes were being made ahead of St David's Day on Sunday.

This was due to be the end of their visit but after getting into their vehicle and being driven for a short period, William and Catherine stepped out to meet cheering crowds that had gathered, including children who handed them bunches of flowers and pictures they had drawn.

William spotted a group of children holding up a scarf for Aston Villa, the football club he has supported since his school days.

"That's a great way to get my attention," he told them.

Meanwhile the Princess of Wales spoke to members of the public outside about the performance by the children at Llanidloes school, saying: "It was so lovely to meet the children singing inside - they were incredible."

While in the kitchen, Catherine spoke about the importance of The Hanging Gardens and described places like it as "a lifeline to so many people in the community".

Following the visit, they headed to Oriel Davies - a public contemporary art gallery based in Newtown - before attending a celebration of volunteer groups at Hafan yr Afon, a hub for culture, community and heritage in the town.

At Oriel Davies, they learnt about a community arts project supporting children and young people's wellbeing.

"It's amazing what's happening here," Catherine told the families.

"It must be such a lovely way to make friends and share stories."

The initiative has brought together local families, including those from Syrian and Afghan refugee backgrounds, for regular creative workshops led by artist Nicky Arscott.

Arscott said the couple would see work created by the year-long programme, including a collaborative tablecloth made from materials gathered over months of sessions.

"We just did regular art workshops, exploring different materials, and we ended up making a table cloth which gathered all the materials over the course of the months... which now forms part of the exhibition," she said.

The project, known as Hand in Hand, focuses on how art can support wellbeing, particularly for primary school-aged children.

Ahead of the visit, youngsters prepared handmade jewellery in the gallery's education room.

"We've been making jewellery in the education room to prepare for the visit. I think there have been four or five bracelets made for Kate, a couple of necklaces made out of beads and jewellery," Arscott added.

At Hafan yr Afon, Catherine spent time with members of Mums Matter, a perinatal service for women who are experiencing mental health problems linked to early motherhood.

She met with Ella Hopkins, a volunteer with the service.

"[Catherine] definitely said that it's something that she said felt passionate about, parents being able to be committed and devoted through their own stability," Hopkins said.