Prince William beams during special visit to support cause close to his and Kate’s hearts
The Prince of Wales stepped out in London today for a poignant visit to a charity linked to his and Princess Kate’s Royal Foundation.
The Prince of Wales made a poignant visit today to a charity with links particularly close to his and his wife, Princess Kate’s, heart. Prince William visited Mental Health Innovations (MHI) in London to celebrate a special milestone and learn more about its merger with The Mix – a digital service helping young people develop life skills and connections.
William and Kate have long been strong advocates of mental health and mental wellbeing, focusing much of their royal careers on causes promoting those values. MHI, established in 2017 by The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, uses digital innovation, data-driven analysis, and clinical experts’ experience to deliver scalable, innovative services and insights that transform the nation’s mental health. In 2019, the charity launched Shout, the UK’s free, 24/7 text messaging support service.
The Prince of Wales during a visit to Mental Health Innovations in White City (Image: PA)
The Prince of Wales was greeted by well-wishers after a visit (Image: Getty Images)
Shout has reached a new milestone recently after it surpassed three million conversations with those needing support.
During today’s visit, the future king spent time with members of Mental Health Innovation’s Youth Advisory Board, which is made up of young volunteers providing services through both The Mix and Shout.
William heard about how, through the latest merger, the Board is working on developing a new ecosystem of free, 24/7 mental health support that will reach millions more young people struggling with their wellbeing.
He also met with experts to discuss how the charity works with partners, including Imperial College London, using cutting-edge data science and AI to support The Mix and Shout services and to provide vital insights into the mental health of some of the most vulnerable groups from across the UK.
Near the end of his visit, the prince also saw first hand a demonstration of Shout’s new generative AI conversation simulator used in volunteer training.
It is the second appearance William has made in two days, as on Wednesday, in his role as patron of NHS Charities Together, he visited the Royal Berkshire Hospital to see the impact of funds provided by the charity since the coronavirus pandemic and hear how health workers coped with it.
During his visit, William suggested that NHS staff should have enforced career breaks to aid their mental health.
He said: “For me, looking into the nation’s mental health, if you like, over the last few years, unless there’s almost an enforced break in somebody’s career – as part of your career development – we’re never going to get to the point where we can look after their mental health, because you always rely on the individual to put their hand up.”
