The Duchess Launches New Mental Health Campaign

THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE might be taking a step back from public engagements due to the hyperemesis gravidarum she is suffering with her third pregnancy, but a new charity video means that she is still in the spotlight.

In the footage, which was recorded in January during a visit to the Child Bereavement UK Centre in East London, and aired yesterday, the Duchess launched the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families’ "You’re Never Too Young to Talk Mental Health" campaign.

The initiative, which aims to promote mental health awareness in schools, will “help us all talk about our mental health - what to say, and who to talk to when we have feelings that are too big to manage on our own, and how to listen and help if one of our friends is finding things difficult. Sometimes, it’s just a simple conversation that can make things better,” she explained.

Poised and pristine in a blue Eponine coat, the Duchess drew on her own experience as a mother to promote the cause: “As parents, we all want our children to have the best possible start in life,” she explained. “Encouraging children to understand and be open about their feelings can give them the skills to cope with the ups and downs that life will throw at them as they grow up.”

“This is why I am proud to support the 'You're Never Too Young To Talk Mental Health' campaign by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, which is being rolled out across primary schools this autumn,” she continued. “The campaign's resources are excellent tools to support parents. They demonstrate how we can help children express their feelings, respond appropriately, and prevent small problems from snowballing into bigger ones.”

An animation co-produced by children and teachers kicks off the initiative, followed by a free downloadable teaching resource pack, which every UK school will able to access later this week, to help children learn the life-long skills to help them talk about big and small feelings, and how to listen to their friends.

Last year, the Duchess, Prince William and Prince Harry launched Heads Together, a coordinated effort to end mental health stigmas. Their work has seen all three publicly speak out about the need to end the stigma around the subject, encouraging people to “just start a conversation with a friend, family member, colleague or a professional when dealing with a mental-health challenge,” the palace has said previously.

Story By: ALICE NEWBOLD
http://www.vogue.co.uk/article/the-duchess-of-cambridge-mental-health-campaign