The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge alongside brother, Prince Harry, have today launched their mental health campaign, ‘Heads Together‘.
“It will be the biggest single project Their Royal Highnesses have undertaken together,” a Kensington Palace spokesman said. “The Heads Together campaign aims to change the national conversation on mental wellbeing and will be a partnership with inspiring charities with decades of experience in tackling stigma, raising awareness, and providing vital help for people with mental health challenges.”
With the support of their Royal Foundation, Harry, William and Kate will each cover different aspects of the campaign.
As part of the launch, the trio were highlighting the importance of exercise, in assisting in the treatment of various mental health issues.
“Exercise such as boxing, running, gardening – anything that gets your heart rate up is proven to boost mood and strengthen mental wellbeing,” a spokesperson for Mind told The Huffington Post UK.
“In fact, research shows that outdoor exercise can be as effective as antidepressants in treating mild to moderate depression and anxiety.”
The Royals took part in a Boxercise class with former professional boxer Duke McKenzie who runs sessions at Mind in croydon – a charity which offers free classes to those struggling with mental illness.
“The fact that the royal family have put their stamp of approval on the subject of mental health signifies the importance of getting the message out and stopping the stigma attached to mental health problems.” McKenzie said of the launch.
“With the royal seal of approval, it can’t fail.”
The charity will also partner up with the Virgin Money London Marathon to raise vital funds for all mental health charities within ‘Heads Together’.
Mind’s chief executive Paul Farmer told The Huffington Post UK, that the campaign has the “potential to transform the way that we think and talk about mental health and wellbeing”.
“We are delighted that Their Royal Highnesses are joining the growing movement that is fighting to end mental health stigma.
“Our ‘Time to Change’ campaign, which we run with the charity Rethink Mental Illness, has made great strides to change public attitudes about mental health but we have always said that we can’t take on the challenge alone and to have the backing of these global icons is phenomenal.
“We hope that in the run up to the Virgin Money London Marathon in April 2017 we’ll be able to inspire people across the UK to have conversations about their mental health and to get active.
“We all have mental health, just like physical health, it is part of everyday life and needs to be looked after.”
