Kensington Palace: The Duchess of Cambridge to visit
Ronald McDonald House Evelina London 

Tuesday 28th February, 2017

The Duchess of Cambridge will visit Ronald McDonald House Evelina London on Tuesday 28th February, officially marking the opening of their purpose-built ‘home away from home’ accommodation for the families of children being treated at Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

The new 59-bedroom House offers comfort, support, and a safe environment where families can interact and share their experiences, and stay free of charge for as long as the need to whilst their child is in hospital. The facility is equipped with kitchens, playrooms, and laundry facilities, and has communal lounges so that families can feel at home. Just a five minute walk to the Evelina London, the location also helps families remain as close as possible to their child. Run in partnership with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, which made a significant contribution to the cost of the build, and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, which provided the land and helped to bring the parties together, the House is expected to accommodate around 975 families each year.

The new £13 million House is run by Ronald McDonald House Charities, an independent charity founded in 1989. There are currently 14 Houses across the UK, helping support over 7,000 families a year and keeping them together at a stressful time so that they can concentrate on the wellbeing of their child.

On arrival The Duchess will hear more about Ronald McDonald House Charities, and what the new House will mean to the families and children being treated at Evelina London. Her Royal Highness will then be taken on a tour of the House, meeting families who are currently benefitting from its new facilities and services. Before departing, The Duchess will attend a short reception in the Day Room, and unveil a plaque to mark the House’s official opening.

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 Kensington Palace: Prince Harry to attend England Rugby Team Open Training Session 

Twickenham Stadium, London 

Friday 17th February, 2017

In his new role as Patron of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), Prince Harry will attend the England rugby team open training session at Twickenham Stadium on Friday 17 February. The training day is an opportunity for England Rugby to thank the rugby community for their continued support, including young people from various RFU youth programmes. Prince Harry will join these young people as they watch the England team prepare for their next RBS 6 Nations match.

The event at Twickenham Stadium will see over 12,000 supporters from clubs and schools filling the stands to watch the England senior squad in a training session. It will also feature a live Q&A from coaches and England players.

On arrival, Prince Harry will take his seat in the stands with young people from various RFU youth projects. He will first meet young rugby players involved in England Rugby’s Try for Change programme. Try for Change uses the power of rugby as a force for good to improve the lives of disadvantaged people in England and across the world. Whilst the training session is taking place, Prince Harry will chat to the young rugby players to hear about how rugby has helped to turn their lives around.

His Royal Highness will then meet representatives from RFU’s National Youth Council and Young Rugby Ambassadors (YRA) programmes. The YRA programme supports and incentivises young volunteers aged 14-25, and has over 1,300 YRAs across the country supporting their clubs, universities, colleges and schools. Prince Harry will also meet young people from Didcot RFC who were chosen from groups around the country to form a Guard of Honour for the England team.

Prince Harry will then make his way on to the pitch to meet players from the England team as they finish their training session.

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Kensington Palace: The Duke of Cambridge Will Officially Launch the SkillForce Prince William Award

 Wales 

Wednesday 1st March

The Duke of Cambridge, Patron of SkillForce, will officially launch the charity’s new award programme, The Prince William Award (PWA), while visiting a primary school in Wales. His Royal Highness will join three groups of school children as they each demonstrate different age related levels of the award programme. The Prince William Award is aimed at helping young children between the ages of 6 and 14 to develop good character, confidence and resilience.

The PWA is designed in three stages. The Pioneer Award is for children aged between 6 and 7, and helps to develop character, and to teach children to understand the value of significant character traits. The second stage is the Explorer Award for children aged 8 to 11, and focuses on developing character within a team and the impact individuals can make on group performance. The third stage of The PWA is the Trailblazer Award, which concentrates on inspiring children aged 12 to 14 with confidence as leaders, and equipping them with skills to take on responsibility.

The Duke will meet with students who have participated in the award scheme during its pilot year, and will join them as they complete exercises including; a construction task, a trust based exercise, and a challenge designed to test leadership skills.

After completing these exercises His Royal Highness will give a speech to mark the official launch of the award, and will congratulate children already participating, before unveiling the first award trophies.

SkillForce is a national education charity that works with schools to transform lives using the skills and experience of ex-Service veterans. The charity supports children and young people in more than 200 primary and secondary schools across England, Scotland and Wales preparing them for their next steps in education, work and life. The Duke became Patron in 2009.

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Kensington Palace:
The Duchess of Cambridge will visit Action for Children to see their
work with families

22nd February 2017

The Duchess of Cambridge will visit two Action for Children projects supporting vulnerable families in Wales. This will be her first engagements with Action for Children since becoming its Patron in December, following on from Her Majesty The Queen.

Action For Children cares for disadvantaged children from across the UK, from before they are born until they are into their twenties. The organisation helps all types of families, supporting children and carers through fostering or adoption, and intervening early to stop neglect and abuse. The charity also makes life better for children with disabilities. It’s 7,000 staff and volunteers operate over 600 services, improving the lives of 390,000 children, teenagers, parents and carers every year. The Duchess, who has made supporting vulnerable families a key area of focus, has previously visited Action for Children programmes at Cape Hill Children’s Centre in Smethwick in 2015. The visit on 22nd February will allow Her Royal Highness to see two of the successful projects in Wales, where Action for Children helped 13,000 children and young people last year.

The Duchess will first visit Torfaen to see MIST, a child and adolescent mental health project which works specifically with children who are living in care with foster families or birth families. The service works with both the young person and their carers or birth family to address complex mental health needs, intervening where it becomes clear the child is at risk of being placed in residential or institutional care, with the aim of keeping the child in their local area, and having as normal a life as possible. MIST has been running for 12 years. It is commissioned by Health, Social Care and Education and hosted by Action for Children – Gweithredu dros Blant.

The Duchess will then visit the Caerphilly Family Intervention Team (FIT) to learn about their work with children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, problems with family relationships and those who have or who are likely to self-harm. The Duchess will view the team’s family therapy work which helps families understand the reasons behind certain behaviour. It supports them to manage feelings and behaviours using creative techniques that are tailored to meet individual needs. The project is delivered by Family Support Practitioners who are trained and supervised by a Clinical Psychologist and Systemic Psychotherapist.

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Kensington Palace:
Prince Harry will visit Newcastle and Gateshead with Heads Together 

Tuesday 21st February, 2017

Prince Harry will join a training session in the centre of Newcastle with Team Heads Together as part of an ongoing campaign to get the nation talking about mental health. As the countdown to the Virgin Money London Marathon continues, Prince Harry will meet the runners and Heads Together supporters from across the North East who are working to make 2017 the mental health marathon. Heads Together, the campaign to change the conversation on mental health which is spearheaded by Their Royal Highnesses, is the Official Charity of the Year of the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon.

Prince Harry’s visit to the North East will begin in Gateshead, where His Royal Highness will learn how Walking With the Wounded is working with the local council and police on projects to support ex-servicemen, with a focus on providing specialist support for mental health, including those who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The Prince will hear from project leaders and beneficiaries of these services, before attending a round table on how multi-agency partnerships can support mental health provision for servicemen with complex needs. Walking With The Wounded is one of the CONTACT coalition, a charity partner of the Heads Together Campaign.

Next, Prince Harry will head to the Quayside where he will join Steve Cram, Jonathan Edwards and some of the Team Heads Together runners from across the North East and Scotland as they take part in a special training day. As the group takes part in drills and exercises at the iconic Quayside, by the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, The Prince will meet some of the runners to hear why they are running, and to raise awareness of the benefits of having open conversations about mental health. The runners will have spent the day getting top training, nutrition and fundraising tips as they prepare for the race, alongside tips on how to spread the Heads Together message to challenge the stigma on talking about our mental health.

The day concludes at Virgin Money Head Quarters, one of the Official Partners of Heads Together, where staff, runners, and representatives from the campaign’s eight charity partners will be taking part in a Heads Together charity day. Prince Harry will head to the charity village to meet staff who have been raising funds and awareness about mental health, before joining speakers, including Virgin Money CEO Jayne-Anne Gadhia, and runners, who will talk about the important of a positive attitude to mental health in the workplace, and how having conversations about mental health can save lives.

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A Speech by The Duke of Cambridge at The Guild of Health Writers Conference

6th February 2017

Thank you Louise and Ryan.  And thank you also to the Guild of Health Writers committee and Sarah Stacey in particular for inviting Heads Together to support this event.

And my thanks to all of you, for your continued focus as journalists on mental health, breaking down the barriers around it.

You may be wondering why Catherine, Harry and I got involved in this topic in the first place. Mental health is traditionally not a mainstream subject, after all.

For me personally, it was a gradual awakening over many years through work I’ve been privileged to witness with vulnerable young people – the homeless, the unemployed, those who are unable to fulfil their potential.  It was their openness about their mental health, their anxiety issues, their honesty about not coping, that made me realise that poor mental health was a major issue in our society.  Much greater than anyone cared to admit.  And it was an issue that needed addressing if we were to attempt to solve many other problems that trouble us.

I know what I have just said may sound obvious to you – of course poor mental health underpins many other problems.  But to me – as it still is for many, many people – mental health was the great taboo.

If you were anxious, it’s because you were weak.  If you couldn’t cope with whatever life threw at you, it’s because you were failing.  Successful, strong people don’t suffer like that, do they.  But of course – we all do.  It’s just that few of us speak about it.

But I got interested in mental health for another reason.  One that was related to my work as an Air Ambulance pilot.  It was suicide, a subject that is so often hidden.  The suicide rate among young men in this country is an appalling stain on our society.  Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 40 in this country.  Not cancer, not knife crime, not road deaths – suicide.  If one of these other issues took so many young lives, there would be a national outcry.  But there has only ever been silence. And this has to stop.  This silence is killing good people.

For Catherine and Harry, their journeys to Heads Together were different:  Harry predominately through his work with veterans, and Catherine through her work with children and young families.  But their conclusions were the same – that mental health needed to be brought out of the dark and de-stigmatised.

So, what have Catherine, Harry and I decided to do about it.  These topics are complex, and we are certainly not experts.  So we started by using our Royal Foundation to convene eight charities from the sector to seek their advice.  We asked them to tell us what was the most useful thing we could do to help.

And what they told us surprised us – although it seems obvious now given what I’ve just told you already.  These charities told us that the most important thing that needed to happen was to normalise mental health – to get people comfortable with the subject and to talk about it.  Simple as that.

At the moment, on average it takes a sufferer ten years to admit to a problem.  This means that what often starts as a fairly minor issue becomes something serious and medical after time.  What these charities told us was that silence can kill; but talking can lead to help and support.

I was already experiencing the benefits of this open, positive approach to mental health in my work as a Search and Rescue pilot previously and now as an Air Ambulance pilot.  In both these environments, every member of the crew is actively encouraged to admit when we are feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope – whether because of work or something in our home life.  My employer, I’m proud to say, knows about the value of normalizing mental health, and treating it with the same respect that we confer on physical health.  This should be the norm.

We want that ‘someone else’ to be celebrated – simply for taking the time to ask ‘are you okay?’

So, for the next few months, we are running a campaign to get people from all walks of life to record videos recounting what it feels like to open up to someone else.  We want that ‘someone else’ to be celebrated – simply for taking the time to ask ‘are you okay?’ and to properly listen to the answer.

We hope that these videos will inspire people across this country, whatever their background, to talk up, and to tell another person if they feel like they can’t cope.  That it’s perfectly okay to do that – it’s a positive step, and a sign of strength not weakness.

To achieve this we will be working with a number of media organisations that share our commitment to ending this stigma, and we greatly, greatly appreciate the support.

All of this activity culminates this April at the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon, where Heads Together is the Charity of the Year.  This gives us an incredible platform to start millions of conversations on mental health and make this year’s London Marathon the first ever ‘mental health marathon’.  We want to get the country talking about mental health.

So, what comes after all this activity?  For some people, a conversation with a friend, family member or colleague may not be enough.

It is clear that people struggle to access expert advice.  With our Heads Together Charity Partners, we have been exploring the gaps in the support they would like to offer.  We have been looking to see what we can do to give people more confidence to help each other and to make it easier to find the right advice.  We are working through the detail of this programme and we will set out the direction of this work later in the year.

I know I am speaking to the converted here, that you are all advocates of bringing mental health on to a par with physical health.  Your work is vital – if more people speak about mental health in an open, honest and non-judgmental way, and if we can do that the easier this task will become.

And if you have ideas of how you can contribute to the conversation that the Heads Together campaign is hoping to create this year, please speak to the team – they’re here dotted about.  The Charity Partners, who deserve the credit for this are all here too and would love to hear from you and to begin conversations after.

Thank you again for inviting Heads Together to be part of today’s event.   We believe it is hugely important.

Thank you.

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A speech by The Duchess of Cambridge at the Place2Be Big Assembly for Children’s Mental Health Week

6th February 2017

Thank you so much for your very warm welcome. It is great to be here to support Children’s Mental Health week.

People often ask me why I am so interested in the mental health of children and young people. The answer is quite simple – it is because I think that every child should have the best possible start in life.

When I was growing up I was very lucky. My family was the most important thing to me. They provided me with somewhere safe to grow and learn, and I know I was fortunate not to have been confronted by serious adversity at a young age.

For some children, maybe there are some here today; I know that life can sometimes feel difficult and full of challenges. I think that every child should have people around them to show them love, and to show them kindness, and nurture them as they grow. This is what Place2Be is doing so amazingly here in your school.

Recently I met an 11 year-old girl who was helped by Place2Be. She told me that if you keep your feelings inside, you can feel as though you will blow up like a balloon. But, by talking to someone about them, it can make you feel so much better.

I thought that was such a clever way of looking at it. If we are worried, upset, lonely or angry – the best thing to do is to talk to someone about it. Whether that is your mother or father, a teacher or a friend.

I know that in your school you have been working on a project to spread a little kindness and I think this is such an important thing to do.

If you see someone who you think might need help, try and be kind to them. Keep a look out for them if they are on their own or seem sad or worried. Perhaps they just need a hug or someone to talk to.

I know it is hard if you are feeling down yourself. But helping someone out will also make you feel so much better too.

My parents taught me about the importance of qualities like kindness, respect, and honesty, and I realise how central, values like these have been to me throughout my life. That is why William and I want to teach our little children, George and Charlotte just how important these things are as they grow up.

In my view it is just as important as excelling at maths or sport.

Now, I am very excited about presenting the Kindness cup and hearing your stories. Do remember that even if you don’t win today, the fact that you are helping make your school such a supportive and friendly place is so important. You should all be very proud of yourselves and each other.

Thank you so much for having me here with you all today.

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Kensington Palace
THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE WILL LAUNCH THE CENTREPOINT HELPLINE
London 

Monday 13th February, 2017

The Duke of Cambridge will officially launch the Centrepoint Helpline in London on Monday 13th February. This is the first ever advice service that will offer young people who are either homeless or are at risk of homelessness a full support service. Centrepoint, of which His Royal Highness is Patron, has partnered with The Mix to deliver this project.

The Duke will join Centrepoint Helpline advice workers as they run a training session for new recruits who will go on to receive calls from young people who rely on the service. His Royal Highness will hear some of these calls as he joins advisers already manning the helpline and trying to help homeless young people.

The Centrepoint helpline will make sure that even more young people aged between 16 and 25 are given the right advice and support to turn their lives around. Centrepoint research shows that 150,000 young people approach their local authorities for help with housing, but one in three are turned away without any meaningful support.

The Duke will spend time speaking to Centrepoint volunteers and staff who provide vital services offered to thousands of young people each year, now including the helpline. His Royal Highness will also meet some of the key backers of the campaign to deliver this helpline.

Centrepoint already offers a huge amount of support to help homeless young people, providing them with a safe place to stay, help to tackle physical and mental health problems and support in accessing education and work. The helpline will be run from London and rolled out nationally, to help young people at any stage of their journey, dealing with the problems that lead to homelessness such as family breakdown, and will help young people facing homelessness find somewhere to stay.

For more information about Centrepoint, visit www.centrepoint.org.uk

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ROYAL COMMUNICATIONS: The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, will open the National Cyber Security Centre, London

Tuesday 14th February 2017 

Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, will open the new National Cyber Security Centre in London on Tuesday 14th February.

Upon arrival, The Queen will meet the Director of GCHQ, Mr Robert Hannigan, and Ciaran Martin, the CEO NCSC, before proceeding on a tour of the team workspace. Her Majesty and His Royal Highness will view a display demonstrating GCHQ history and the creation of the NCSC, including a 1890s code wheel and an India Office Cypher Code, before meeting historians.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will then view exhibition stands demonstrating current NCSC work, such as reducing the cyber security risk to critical national infrastructure. The Royal Party will move to an area demonstrating the threats faced in the future and how they will be tackled, including an exhibition on skills and innovation. Her Majesty and His Royal Highness will meet staff and students before attending a brief reception for staff and guests. The Queen will unveil a plaque to mark the opening before departing.

Background Information

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the UK’s authority on cyber security. As part of GCHQ, its vision is to make the UK the safest place to live and work on-line. Its main purpose is to reduce the cyber security risk to the UK by improving its cyber security and cyber resilience. The NCSC works together with UK organisations, businesses and individuals to provide authoritative and coherent cyber security advice and cyber incident management. This is underpinned by world class research and innovation.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) became operational on Monday 3^rd October. The new building in Victoria will accommodate approximately half of its 700 employees, with others based in partner organisations, including GCHQ.

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KENSINGTON PALACE:
THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE WILL VISIT RAF AIR CADETS 

Cambridgeshire 

Tuesday 14th February, 2017

The Duchess of Cambridge will visit an RAF base in Cambridgeshire to meet with local air cadets. Her Royal Highness became Royal Patron and Honorary Air Commandant of the Air Cadet Organisation, in December 2015.

The Duchess will be introduced to air cadets from the Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Wing Air Training Corps, who are taking part in a half-term skills development camp. The week acts as an initial “camp experience” for cadets who are in their first six months of membership.

Her Royal Highness will join the cadets as they view a Tutor aircraft, and participate in a personal development training session, The Duchess will also have the chance to fly a flight simulator while there.

The RAF Air Cadets is made up of the Air Training Corps (ATC) and Combined Cadet Force (CCF). It promotes a practical interest in aviation among both young men and women, providing training and encouraging the development of life skills including leadership and teamwork. The organisation currently comprises 41,000 air cadets aged 12-19, and 15,000 adult volunteers across the UK and abroad.

This will be The Duchess’s third visit to the RAF Air Cadets since The Duke of Edinburgh passed his Patronage to The Duchess, after 63 years serving as Air Commodore-in-Chief.

For more information on the Air Cadets, please visit: http://www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/

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