The Princess of Wales has been marking Mental Health Awareness Week this week, and today she visited her longtime patronage, the Anna Freud Centre, as part of it.
The Anna Freud Centre works in collaboration with young people and their families, communities and mental health professionals to transform children’s, and their families’, mental health. It has been developing and delivering pioneering mental health care for over 70 years.
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Catherine became their royal patron in February 2016 and her interest in mental health has deepened over the years. Her Centre For Early Childhood has had content developed with guidance from Anna Freud experts.
The visit began with a round table discussion with staff, experts, and people with experience of mental health problems to discuss the support for the mental well-being of this generation and future ones that is and can be given.
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The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is ‘Anxiety’, and the Princess met with a group of students taking part in some interactive activities. The activities were based around ‘Let’s Talk Anxiety’, a new animation and teacher toolkit that has been co-created by the students themselves.
Through the toolkit, the students learnt how everyone deals with anxiety at certain times in their lives, but that there are healthy coping skills and tactics they can practice to help them when they are feeling anxious.
It was lovely to meet with the students who co-created this toolkit, hearing more about what we can all do to look after ourselves this #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek and beyond.
@AFNCCF pic.twitter.com/K1BaLBOVVQ— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) May 18, 2023
The Princess of Wales visited the Anna Freud Centre during Mental Health Awareness Week (AFCCC)
Anxiety is something that, earlier in the week, Kate admitted that she deals with herself when it comes to adapting to royal life and especially to public speaking.
Following her visit, The Princess of Wales met a small number of well wishers who had gathered outside for a chance of seeing and meeting her.
Today’s visit comes after a visit to Bath on Monday to see the work of the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, which enables top athletes to mentor young people and help them to grow their confidence and develop the skills they need to succeed in life.
