The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will urge people to speak out about their mental health in a radio message to be broadcast this morning.
As part of a minute-long broadcast, Kate Middleton, 38, will tell listeners it is ‘okay to ask’ about a loved one’s well-being if you notice them ‘acting differently’. Prince William, 37, will urge people to ‘reach out to someone’ who might need support during the coronavirus crisis.
The Mental Health Minute, which will be broadcast across all stations at 10.59am to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, also features contributions from boxer Anthony Joshua, footballer Harry Kane, pop star Dua Lipa and actor David Tennant.
It is the first time all commercial, community, and all BBC stations – including national and local – will be united in broadcasting the same message simultaneously.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are marking the start of Mental Health Awareness Week today with a special message due to be broadcast to over 20 million radio listeners. Pictured, Prince William and Kate Middleton delivering a video message to volunteers last week
As part of the broadcast, The Duke of Cambridge will say: ‘We’re all connected. And sometimes just talking about how you’re feeling can make a big difference. So right now, let’s join together across the UK and reach out to someone.’
The Duchess of Cambridge will say: ‘If you’re struggling, it’s important to talk about it. Or if someone you know is acting differently, it’s OK to ask how they are. Use this moment to send a message.’
Coinciding with the release of the Mental Health Minute, Heads Together and Instagram have partnered to launch the ‘Heads Together Wellbeing Guides’ – as part of a new global mental health initiative from the social media platform.
The new Instagram ‘Guides’ feature, launching this afternoon, allows users to discover curated, reliable recommendations from individuals and organisations who they trust, admire and follow.
Each of the UK guides will be curated by Heads Together, and will include posts from a wide range of charity partners, influencers and supporters, signposting UK users to reliable, positive content that supports their mental wellbeing.
The Mental Health Minute, which will be broadcast across all stations at 10.59am to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, also features a contribution from footballer Harry Kane. Pictured, the Duke of Cambridge with Kane in June 2018
The guides include A Guide to Talking, A Guide to Self-Care, and a Guide to Kindness.
Kindness was named as the official theme for Mental Health Awareness Week earlier in April, in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The week has been hosted by Mental Health Foundation for the past 20 years, and this year will celebrate the thousands of acts of kindness that are so important to our mental health, particularly during times of stress.
During Mental Health Awareness Week, Heads Together will champion the work of its eight charity partners, who have decades of experience in tackling the stigma around mental health in the UK – including The Anna Freud Centre, Best Beginnings, CALM, Contact, Mind, Place2Be, The Mix and Young Minds.
This activity comes days after the one-year anniversary of Heads Together’s legacy project, Shout, a free text messaging service which provides 24/7 support for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis.
The Mental Health Minute was produced by Radiocentre and Heads Together, the mental health campaign coordinated by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Jason Knauf, Chief Executive of The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, said: ‘As we feel the effects of Covid-19 on the nation’s mental health, we will need to support one another more than ever.
‘We will all need to feel more confident in reaching out for support if we need it and checking in on our loved ones. By bringing together the power of radio and social media, we’re delighted to help people connect to one another, and to access reliable, trusted information and resources from our charity partners.
‘These remarkable projects from Radiocentre and Instagram show that, despite being apart, no-one needs to face these challenges alone.’