“Prince William Energizes Mental Health Charity Visit by Using Laptop”

Prince William appeared in cheerful spirits on Thursday as he visited a mental health charity in London. 

The 42-year-old Prince of Wales smiled at the Mental Health Innovations (MHI) in White City, a charity founded in 2017 by The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales.

The couple are known to be strong advocates of mental health and wellbeing – with their Foundation supporting several causes. 

And the heir to the throne beamed as he attended a meeting, showing off his tech skills as he fired up a laptop and gestures enthusiastically. 

Elsewhere in the meeting, he looked pensive as he heard from members of Mental Health Innovation’s Youth Advisory Board. 

He was dressed casually for the visit, pairing a light-blue button down shirt with a navy blazer, and black trousers.  

Later on, he held a bouquet of flowers as he greeted a small crowd and met with Victoria Hornby, the CEO of MHI.  

Prince William visited to commemorate the amalgamation of MHI with the digital service The Mix, which assists young individuals in developing life skills and building connections.

The charity was established in 2017 by William and Kate’s The Royal Foundation. 

Utilizing digital advancements, data analysis, and the expertise of clinical professionals, it offers scalable, pioneering services and insights aimed at revolutionizing the mental health landscape in the country.

Supported by The Royal Foundation, MHI launched Shout, the UK’s free, 24/7 text messaging support service in 2019. 

The Prince’s visit marks the recent merger between MHI and The Mix and comes as Shout has reached the milestone of three million conversations with those in need of support. 

During the visit, His Royal Highness 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. 

He heard about how, through the merger, the Youth Advisory Board has collaborated on the development of a new ecosystem of free, 24/7 mental health support that will reach millions more young people struggling with their wellbeing. 

William was also given a demonstration of Shout’s new generative AI conversation simulator used in volunteer training. 

Just yesterday, William proposed that NHS staff should have an ‘enforced career break’ to protect their mental wellbeing during a hospital visit today. 

He joined charity workers at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading on Wednesday, where he saw the impact of funds provided by NHS Charities Together since the start of the pandemic five years ago.

The organisation began its appeal at the start of the Covid crisis in 2020, and has continued to support NHS staff, patients, and local communities across the country.

During a meeting to hear how health workers coped with the pandemic, William suggested that NHS staff should have enforced career breaks to aid their mental health.

William, a former air ambulance helicopter pilot, told a small group of NHS staff who use the facility: ‘Everyone in the NHS is there to care for others so the last person who gets looked after is the individual. 

‘I’ve seen that when I’ve worked with doctors, nurses, paramedics – they always put it down the line, they don’t want to put their workload on to someone else – how do you go around identifying the right people?

‘Because 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.’

William visited the Oasis Health and Wellbeing Centre and garden at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading which, five years ago to the day – March 5, recorded the first person to die after testing positive for coronavirus.

He chatted to staff from the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust who were on the front line of the Covid-19 pandemic, and listened as one senior nurse became emotional when he described not visiting his elderly parents in Italy for two years to protect them during the outbreak.

The prince visited the trust’s centre in his role as royal patron of NHS Charities Together which provided a portion of the funds needed to renovate the resource that has a gym, yoga classes and a garden providing spaces for recreation, reflection and vegetable growing.

NHS Charities Together launched its Covid-19 Urgent Appeal in 2020 and raised £162 million to support NHS staff, patients and communities, working with a network of 235 NHS charities based in every Trust and Health Board around the UK.

It’s been a busy few weeks for the future monarch who visited Cardiff last week alongside his wife, Kate Middleton, marking their first royal engagement in Wales for more than a year.