The Duke of Cambridge has urged us all to stop and really listen as he took part in #MentalHealthMinute which was broadcast on over 300 radio stations just before 11am today.
William was one of five well known voices underlining the importance of talking and listening when it comes to mental health. Alongside Stephen Fry, Alesha Dixon, Katy Perry and Jameela Jamil, he put a spotlight on the difference taking just a minute to stop and hear someone can make.
It’s thought around 20 million people heard the #MentalHealthMinute as it was broadcast with more catching up online and on social media afterwards. The campaign is run by Heads Together. In the message, William says ”being able to talk about how you are feeling is essential for keeping mentally fit and healthy”. He goes on to add ”each and every one of us has the power to make a difference to someone”.
The message was broadcast at the start of Mental Health Awareness Week 2019 which runs until Sunday May 19th. This special awareness campaign has been running since 2001 and aims to bring more attention to mental health issues. There is a specific focus every year – in 2019, it’s body positivity. Across the next seven days, hundreds of events are taking place to put a spotlight on this topic and the importance of mental health overall.
As the awareness week began, Heads Together once again focused on its latest legacy project, Shout, which is a free texting service running 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the UK. Those in need of support can get in touch by text and be put in contact with a trained volunteer who will provide support.
And in the coming week, we’ll see the Duke of Cambridge talking about mental health with some of the biggest names in football in a special BBC One programme called ”A Royal Team Talk: Tackling Mental Health”. It addresses many issues including why men find it harder to talk about their mental health. It goes out on May 19th on BBC One.
