AFTER 35 years working to improve the lives of people suffering from mental illness, a Trellech man has been recognised by Buckingham Palace.

John Cowley was invited to a reception at the palace last Tuesday (10th October) honouring the work of individuals and groups that have championed awareness and help for people suffering from mental illnesses.

Now retired, Mr Cowley spent his career in psychotherapy and counselling as well as ten years volunteering for the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, (BACP) the group that nominated him for the reception on the evening of World Mental Health Day.

He said: “The invitation was a complete surprise, I couldn’t believe it.

“I’m a modest man, I just want to do the right thing for people. I’m just so pleased that mental health is finally at the forefront of people’s minds; the princes have given the cause an amazing amount of publicity recently."

Hosted by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, the important Heads Together event also featured celebrities such as Stephen Fry and Dame Esther Rantzen, as 350 invited guests gathered to meet the royals and hear speeches on the topic of mental health.

In his career, Mr Cowley, 66, also spent time working in schools in Wales, particularly Bettws and Abergavenny, developing a scheme to encourage children to talk about and look out for mental illness, a scheme which being adopted by schools across the country.

His work as head of counselling, health and wellbeing at at Cardiff University also saw him lead a project to help teachers and students to recognise signs of suicidal behaviour in other students, a growing concern at many universities.

Mr Cowley even spent five weeks in Sri Lanka training doctors in counselling, shortly after the 2004 tsunami in the area.

During a speech at the palace event, HRH Prince William said: “Tonight, we are here to celebrate decades of tireless campaigning; after thousands of people have given their time and energy; and after many brave individuals have had the courage to come forward and share their stories, mental health is no longer a Cinderella issue.

“You have all been invited to the palace to recognise that in the UK, we now accept that the health of our minds is as essential as the health of our bodies.

“We know that none of the recent work we have supported through our Heads Together campaign would have been possible without the people in this very room.”