Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince William and Kate Middleton have launched a 24/7 mental health helpline.
The Fab Four have teamed up to launch Shout, a free text messaging helpline for those experiencing mental health challenges in the U.K.
In a statement, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Duke and Duchess of Sussex said: “We are incredibly excited to be launching this service, knowing it has the potential to reach thousands of vulnerable people every day.”
“At the heart of this service will be an incredible national volunteer community, one which needs to grow to allow us to support more people in crisis. We hope that many more of you will join us and be part of something very special.”
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Last November, Their Royal Highnesses made a surprise visit to meet with a group of Shout volunteers, and participated in a panel with mental health activist Bryony Gordon hearing firsthand how the volunteers have found making the connection with vulnerable texters, a majority of whom are under 25, so rewarding – helping to get them through a moment of crisis to a calmer place, and giving them courage to find longer-term support.
Powered by a team of trained volunteers, Shout has already quietly enlisted and trained 1,000 volunteers over the last 12 months, whom in turn have helped 60,000 people.
Tapping into the UK’s volunteer community, Shout aims to recruit 3,000 additional volunteers by the end of the year.
