Non-profit organisation 100 Women in Finance (100WF) has announced that the beneficiary of their UK philanthropic initiatives in 2018 will benefit The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The grant given to The Royal Foundation will primarily support the charity’s mental health initiatives, especially those related to young children.
One of these initiatives is The Mental Healthy Schools website which was recently launched by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge. The online resource provides valuable help and advice from experts for teachers and educators in order to support the mental health of young children in UK schools, one in ten of which will experience a mental health problem at least once by the age of eleven.
Speaking on the occasion of the site’s launch, the Duchess of Cambridge said: “I see time and time again that there is so much to be gained from taking the mental health of our children as seriously as we do their physical health. When we intervene early in life, we help avoid problems that are much more challenging to address in adulthood. My own commitment is to the youngest and most vulnerable in their early years – babies, toddlers and school-children – and to supporting all those who care for them.
“The ambition is to roll the website out this year so it’s available to every teacher in every primary school in the UK. The ultimate goal is that every teacher in the country should know where to turn for expert resources to support the emotional well-being and mental health of children in their care.”
The grant from 100WF – a global organisation which serves more than 15,000 professionals from the worlds of finance and alternative investment industries – will help The Royal Foundation to achieve its objective as well as develop a Mentally Healthy Schools website for educators and professionals working in secondary schools across the UK.
Chair of the London Board of 100WF and member of the Global Association Board, Kathryn Graham said of the choice: “100 Women in Finance is proud to support this important mental health initiative in schools, spearheaded by The Royal Foundation. Ensuring that our young people have early intervention and access to the best possible mental health solutions is critical. And helping teachers, parents and healthcare professionals to navigate where and how to access the right mental health support for their pupils is a crucial part of seeing a positive outcome.”
Lorraine Heggessey, Chief Executive of The Royal Foundation said of the selection: “We are delighted to have been nominated by 100WF as their charity of the year. It is especially important that we are able to work together with an organisation that shares our passion for supporting children and young people, and mental health. We have made great strides in a short space of time, but there is so much more to do to better support children’s wellbeing, and this money will go a long way to making a great difference to young people across the UK.”
