Royal welcome

The Police Treatment Centres welcomed Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, at The Police Treatment Centre, Auchterarder, on 16th January.

The Centre in Auchterarder, known as Castlebrae, which first opened its doors in 1996, has recently undergone a major refurbishment of one of its wings with generous funding from The Scottish Police Federation, and The Princess Royal was visiting the Centre to officially reopen and name the wing in honour of the Federation.

The Princess Royal has been Patron of The Police Treatment Centres since December 2021, and has also recently visited the charity's Harrogate centre. The CEO of the Charity, Patrick Cairns said, "For Her Royal Highness to convey her support for the Police Treatment Centres by becoming our Patron is a tremendous honour for our Charity and it is clear that The Princess Royal understands the challenges that the Police Service are currently under and the work that we do at the PTC in treating ill and injured police officers for a range of physical and mental health injuries."

Mr. Cairns accompanied The Princess Royal on a guided tour of the Auchterarder Centre which included a brief history of Castlebrae and the opportunity to see first-hand the work that the charity undertakes. The Princess Royal spent much of her time talking to staff about the role they each play within the organisation, and to many of the patients about their experiences and about the benefits they get from attending the Centre for treatment.

After touring the Centre, The Princess Royal unveiled a plaque dedicating the re-opening of the newly named Scottish Police Federation Wing and took the opportunity to commend the staff for their hard work and commitment. The Princess Royal also stressed how important it is that all police officers and staff recognise the work of the charity, and that the wider public are also aware of the role the charity performs in serving those who serve our communities.
The Princess Royal was then presented with a rhododendron bush of the variety 'Princess Anne', by Head Gardener, Ronnie Macmillan.

Mr. Cairns expressed his gratitude to The Princess Royal for her time and patronage and thanked the staff at the charity for their on-going hard work in providing patients with the best possible experience to aid their recovery.