Britain’s Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, unveiled plans on Saturday to collaborate with a local charity on a new mental health programme aimed at supporting residents of the royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, eastern England.
According to the couple’s Kensington Palace office, the partnership with Norfolk and Waveney Mind will enhance mental health support for the rural and farming communities in Northwest Norfolk. As co-funders of the pilot scheme, William and Kate, both 42, aim to address the challenges of rural isolation and poor mental health.
Sonja Chilvers, Interim CEO of Norfolk and Waveney Mind, highlighted the initiative’s importance, saying, “We are all too aware of the specific mental health challenges faced by people in rural settings, particularly those in the farming community.” She added, “We’re delighted to be working with The Prince and Princess of Wales, who know our Northwest Norfolk communities well, and we are keen to see the difference that this pilot will make to local people’s mental health.”
Chilvers also emphasized the programme’s broader potential, stating, “Our innovative new partnership will drive proactive outreach and preventative measures to the whole community and form a vital step in better protecting the wellbeing of local people. If successful, it could be used as an example and replicated in other rural estates and communities across the UK.”
The charity is also launching its Talking Therapies service, offering free counselling for those experiencing anxiety and depression. The pilot programme, which will officially launch in 2025, aims to reach the 1,500-strong community in Northwest Norfolk, nearly half of whom reside on the Sandringham Estate. It will run for two years, creating two part-time roles: a Rural Mental Health Coordinator and a Counsellor.
Kensington Palace noted, “The pilot programme will also involve the roll out of mental health training to local employers so that members of the community can be better supported at looking after their mental health before they hit crisis point. It is also hoped the project can become a blueprint for sustainable rural mental health funding, which if successful could be rolled out to other rural estates across the UK.”
The scheme will offer direct, face-to-face counselling and drop-in sessions, along with targeted initiatives for specific groups, including parent and toddler groups, menopause groups, and men’s groups. The goal is to provide support in a “safe, non-judgemental environment, and build supportive relationships between attendees.”
The pilot is intended to serve as a model for sustainable rural mental health funding, with the potential for nationwide implementation across other estates in the future.
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