London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Feb 22, 2025

Prince William and Kate charity gives £1.8m to help mental health

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's charity has donated £1.8m to mental health charities and to help front-line emergency workers.

Ten charities will receive grants, including Hospice UK which will offer individual grief trauma counselling to all front-line staff.

Catherine said the coronavirus pandemic "will have a lasting impact" on emergency responders' mental health.

The money will also help provide mental health support to schools.

The charity, the Royal Foundation, was initially set up in 2009 by Prince William and Prince Harry, and has focused on causes close to the princes' hearts, including the armed forces, conservation and mental health.

Catherine joined the charity after she became Duchess of Cambridge in 2011 and Meghan joined shortly before she and Harry were married in May 2018. Last year, Prince Harry and Meghan split from the foundation to forge their own charity.

During the coronavirus lockdown, the duke and duchess have been vocal about the need to look after people's mental health.

The £1.8m "Covid-19 Response Fund" will include grants to 10 charities: Mind, Hospice UK, the Ambulance Staff Charity, Campaign Against Living Miserably, Best Beginnings, The Anna Freud Centre, Place2Be, Shout 85258, The Mix, YoungMinds.

The ways the money will be used include:

All emergency responders will be able to get individual grief trauma counselling. Currently, Hospice UK's bereavement service originally provided counsellors for NHS England and social care staff, but it will be extended to all UK emergency services front-line workers

Mind's Blue Light programme - which ran from 2015 to 2019 and aimed to reduce stigma around mental health in ambulance, fire, police and search and rescue services - will be available to 250,000 emergency responders

Double the number of ambulance staff who may be struggling will be able to get support such as counselling or bereavement training through the Ambulance Staff Charity

Suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably will increase capacity on its helplines, meaning they can respond to 2,300 more contacts each month

Online training and resources to help mental health will be provided to schools through Place2Be and the Anna Freud Centre
An extra 20,000 new mothers will be supported in a mental health training project led by Best Beginnings.

"Over recent months we have all been in awe of the incredible work that frontline staff and emergency responders have been doing in response to Covid-19, but we know that for many of them, their families, and for thousands of others across the UK, the pandemic will have a lasting impact on their mental health," said Catherine earlier this week, during a visit to speak to front-line workers and mental health counsellors.

William told them: "It's great to hear how The Royal Foundation is supporting you and many others to build resilience and give you the networks you need through its Covid-19 Response Fund, which will help ten leading charities continue their crucial work."

In May, during the lockdown, William warned of a potential mental health impact over hailing NHS workers as "heroes" during the coronavirus pandemic.

He said the praise could deter workers from seeking support as they feel pressure to appear "strong".

In a separate interview with the BBC, the couple said the lockdown is "stressful" for many people.

Psychiatrists have previously warned of a "tsunami" of mental illness from problems stored up during lockdown. They were particularly concerned that children and older adults are not getting the support they need because of school closures, self-isolation and fear of hospitals.

"We are already seeing the devastating impact of Covid-19 on mental health, with more people in crisis," said Prof Wendy Burn, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, at the end of May.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Prison Officer Sentenced for Inappropriate Conduct with Inmate
Good News: Senate Confirms Kash Patel as FBI Director
Officials from the U.S. and Hungary Engage in Talks on Economic Collaboration and Sanctions Strategy
James Bond Franchise Transitions to Amazon MGM Studios
Technology Giants Ramp Up Lobbying Initiatives Against Strict EU Regulations
Alibaba Exceeds Quarterly Projections Fueled by Growth in Cloud and AI
Tequila Sector Faces Surplus Crisis as Agave Prices Dive Sharply
Residents of Flintshire Mobile Home Park Grapple with Maintenance Issues and Uncertain Future
Ronan Keating Criticizes Irish Justice System Following Fatal Crash Involving His Brother
Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat Restaurant Faces Unprecedented Theft
Israeli Family Mourns Loss of Peace Advocate Oded Lifschitz as Body Returned from Gaza
Former UK Defense Chief Calls for Enhanced European Support for Ukraine
Pope Francis Admitted to Hospital in Rome Amid Rising Succession Speculation
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, at the age of 83, Declares His Retirement.
Whistleblower Reveals Whitehall’s Focus on Kabul Animal Airlift Amid Crisis
Politicians Who Deliberately Lie Could Face Removal from Office in Wales
Scottish Labour Faces Challenges Ahead of 2026 Holyrood Elections
Leftwing Activists Less Likely to Work with Political Rivals, Study Finds
Boris Johnson to Host 'An Evening with Boris Johnson' at Edinburgh's Usher Hall
Planned Change in British Citizenship Rules Faces First Legal Challenge
Northumberland Postal Worker Sentenced for Sexual Assaults During Deliveries
British Journalist Missing in Brazil for 11 Days
Tesco Fixes Website Glitch That Disrupted Online Grocery Orders
Amnesty International Critiques UK's Predictive Policing Practices
Burglar Jailed After Falling into Home-Made Trap in Blyth
Sellafield Nuclear Site Exits Special Measures for Physical Security Amid Ongoing Cybersecurity Concerns
Avian Influenza Impact on Seals in Norfolk: Four Deaths Confirmed
First Arrest Under Scotland's Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone Law Amidst International Controversy
Meghan Markle Rebrands Lifestyle Venture as 'As Ever' Ahead of Netflix Series Launch
Inter-Island Ferry Services Between Guernsey and Jersey Set to Expand
Significant Proportion of Cancer Patients in England and Wales Not Receiving Recommended Treatments
Final Consultation Launched for Vyrnwy Frankton Power Line Project
Drug Misuse Deaths in Scotland Rise by 12% in 2023
Failed £100 Million Cocaine Smuggling Operation in the Scottish Highlands
Central Cee Equals MOBO Awards Record; Bashy and Ayra Starr Among Top Honorees
EastEnders: Four Decades of Challenging Social Norms
Jonathan Bailey Channels 'Succession' in Bold Richard II Performance
Northern Ireland's First Astronaut Engages in Rigorous Spacewalk Training
Former Postman Sentenced for Series of Sexual Offences in Northumberland
Record Surge in Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes Across the UK in 2024
Omagh Bombing Inquiry Concludes Commemorative Hearings with Survivor Testimonies
UK Government Introduces 'Ronan's Law' to Combat Online Knife Sales to Minors
Metal Detectorists Unearth 15th-Century Coin Hoard in Scottish Borders
Woman Charged in 1978 Death of Five-Year-Old Girl in South London
Expanding Sinkhole in Godstone, Surrey, Forces Evacuations and Road Closures
Bangor University Announces Plans to Cut 200 Jobs Amid £15 Million Savings Target
British Journalist Charlotte Peet Reported Missing in Brazil
UK Inflation Rises to 3% in January Amid Higher Food Prices and School Fees
Starmer Defends Zelensky Amidst Trump's 'Dictator' Allegation
Zelensky Calls on World Leaders to Back Peace Efforts in Light of Strains with Trump
×