Britain’s Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, on Saturday revealed plans to work with a local charity to deliver a new mental health program to support people at the royal Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England.
The couple’s Kensington Palace office said the collaboration with Norfolk and Waveney Mind will boost mental health support for the rural and farming communities of northwest Norfolk.
Prince William and Kate, both 42, are co-funding the new pilot scheme as extra mental health support to tackle rural isolation and poor mental health.
“We are all very aware of the unique mental health challenges faced by people in rural settings, particularly farming communities,” said Sonja Chilvers, interim CEO of Norfolk and Waveney Mind.
He said: “We are delighted to be working with The Prince and Princess of Wales, who know our Northwest Norfolk communities well, and we look forward to seeing what difference this pilot makes to the mental health of local people. Will bring.”
“Our innovative new partnership will drive proactive outreach and preventative measures for the whole community and will be an important step towards better protecting the wellbeing of local people. If successful, it could be used as an example for other rural estates. And can be replicated in communities across the UK,” she said.
The partnership comes as the charity launches its own talking therapy service offering free counseling for people experiencing anxiety and depression. The new pilot will have the potential to reach the 1,500-strong community in Northwest Norfolk, almost half of whom live on the royal Sandringham estate. It will officially launch in 2025 and run for two years to provide two part-time roles, including a rural mental health coordinator and a counsellor.
“The pilot program will also include mental health training to local employers so that community members can be better supported in looking after their mental health before they reach crisis point. It is also hoped that the project can become a template for , “Sustainable rural mental health funding, which if successful could be rolled out to other rural areas across the UK.”
As well as promoting local provision of direct, face-to-face counseling and drop-in sessions, the scheme will run targeted sessions for different members of the community, including parent and toddler groups, menopause and men’s groups. Its aim will be to “provide support in a safe, non-judgmental environment and build supportive relationships between attendees”.
It is hoped that the pilot can be a blueprint for sustainable rural mental health funding that can then be implemented in other areas across the country.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
