Royal couple to help fund boost in mental health support

The Prince and Princess of Wales are co-funding a new collaboration with local mental health charity, Norfolk and Waveney Mind, to boost mental health support for the rural and farming communities of North West Norfolk.The pilot programme will provide additional mental health support to communities in the area including, but not limited to, those living and working on the Sandringham Estate.The announcement today (Saturday) from William and Kate comes as evidence suggests a strong need for further mental health support for rural and farming communities across the UK.

Rural isolation and poor mental health are still widespread in across the UK, and The Big Farming Survey (2021) has shown that one farmer loses their battle with mental health each week.The new pilot will have the potential to reach across the 1,500 strong community where nearly half live on the Sandringham royal estate.The pilot programme, which will last two years, will officially launch in the New Year and will provide two part-time roles including one rural mental health coordinator and one counsellor. Sonja Chilvers, interim chief executive of Norfolk and Waveney Mind, said: “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 North West 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 UK.“Delivering these new services is part of an exciting series of developments for our charity in North West 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.”As well as boosting local provision of direct, face-to-face counselling and drop-in sessions, the pilot programme will also run targeted sessions for different members of the community, including parent and toddler groups, menopause and men’s groups. These ensure that support is provided in a safe, non-judgemental environment, and build supportive relationships between attendees.The pilot programme will also involve the roll out of mental health training to local employers so that members of the community can be better supported at looking after their mental health before they hit crisis point.It is also hoped the project can become a blueprint for sustainable rural mental health funding, which if successful could be rolled out to other rural estates across the UK.The pilot comes following the pledge earlier this year from The Prince of Wales to provide mental health support for tenant farmers on the Duchy of Cornwall Estate. The pilot is being co-funded with The Prudence Trust and is being delivered locally by Norfolk and Waveney MindAs well as these new provisions, existing mental support will continue in this area. This includes formal provisions via local GPs and the NHS, the existing Carefirst programme provided directly to estate workers on the Sandringham estate and the work of the local Norfolk and Waveney Mind team.