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The couple are co-funding a new pilot programme with Norfolk and Waveney Mind, which will provide additional mental health support for rural and farming communities. Kensington Palace said rural isolation and poor mental health are still widespread across the UK. The new pilot will aim to reach across the 1,500-strong community in Northwest Norfolk, nearly half of whom live on the Sandringham Estate.
The pilot programme, which will last two years, will officially launch in 2025 and will provide two part-time roles including one rural mental health co-ordinator and one counsellor. As well as face-to-face counselling, the programme will also run targeted sessions such as parent and toddler groups, menopause and men’s groups. There will be a rollout of mental health training to local employers so that members of the community can be better supported in looking after their mental health before they hit a 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 programme follows William’s pledge earlier this year to provide mental health support for tenant farmers on the Duchy of Cornwall Estate. 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 Northwest 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 Northwest 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.”.
