The Prince and Princess of Wales are continuing their work in the mental health landscape.
Today, they announced a new collaboration with local mental health charity, Norfolk and Waveney Mind, to "boost mental health support for the rural and farming communities of Northwest Norfolk," Kensington Palace said in a statement.
The couple is co-funding a new pilot program to provide additional mental health support to communities in the area, including those living and working on the royal family's Sandringham Estate. (Nearly half of the Northwest Norfolk population lives on the estate.) This will include face-to-face counseling and drop-in sessions for different members of the community, including parent and toddler groups, menopause groups, and men's groups.
Prince William and Princess Kate's move follows William's pledge earlier this year to provide mental health support for tenant farmers on the Duchy of Cornwall Estate. Per the palace, there is "a strong need for further mental health support for rural and farming communities across the United Kingdom." The palace adds: "Rural isolation and poor mental health are still widespread in across the UK, and sadly, one farmer loses their battle with mental health each week."
The Wales's program will launch in 2025 and go on for at least two years.
Norfolk and Waveney Mind's interim CEO, Sonja Chilvers, says: "We are all too aware of the specific mental health challenges faced by people in rural settings, particularly those in the farming community. 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."
"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 U.K," Chilvers continues. "Delivering these new services is part of an exciting series of developments for our charity in Northwest Norfolk, as we also prepare to launch our new-look Talking Therapies service from our REST Heacham site, opening up free counselling for people experiencing anxiety and depression."