Kate Middleton has shared a heartfelt message following news that one of the charities she supports will unfortunately close its doors.
- The Duchess of Cambridge shared a message to mark the beginning of Children’s Mental Health Week, in support of Place2Be, a charity she’s a patron of.
- The message follows the sad news that one of the other charities she backs – The Art Room – will be closing next month.
- This follows royal news that Kate broke royal protocol during a visit to a hospital for a lovely reason.
Kate’s list of patronages has been increasing ever since she joined the royal family in 2011, and she’s been especially invested in organisations related to the cause closest to her heart – children and how their early development impacts their health and wellbeing as adults.
But the royal has recently received some sad news, as Oxford-based charity The Art Room is set to close next month.
Kate has been a patron of the organisation - which helps boost the confidence and self-esteem of children through art therapy - since 2012.
The closure was announced by its parent charity, Place2Be, who revealed in a statement that it was down to financial pressures.
Following a business review, the statement read, “The conclusion is that unfortunately, in its current format, the service has limited accessibility and is not financially sustainable, particularly in an environment where school budgets are under pressure.
“The Art Room continues to operate in its current format until the end of Spring Term 2020. At this point, the eight fixed Art Rooms will close.”
The news comes as Place2Be marks their 5th Children’s Mental Health Week, which they started back in 2015.
To mark the launch of the week, Kate shared a heartfelt message highlighting this year’s focus on ‘bravery’ and urging schools to get involved.
'For many children today, the world can feel a scary and daunting place. While we might not always feel brave inside, even the smallest act—such as sharing a worry or asking for help—can be incredibly courageous. Helping children to feel confident about seeking support can have a transformational impact on their lives,' she wrote.
'Being able to try new things and push ourselves outside of our comfort zone are important skills that can build children’s resilience and self-esteem. Learning these skills early in life can give children tools to cope with future challenges they may face in adulthood.
'I am therefore so pleased to once again support Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week, which is this year focused on bravery. Through all my interactions with the charity, I’m proud to have seen how its work is helping children, young people and adults to be more confident in looking after their mental health, but there is still much more to do. The first step is talking about it, and recently I’ve launched a UK-wide survey on the under-fives in an attempt to get people to do just that. Our long-term ambition is to bring about positive, lasting change for generations to come.
'I’d love schools and families across the country to take part in the week to help children and young people to ‘find their brave.’'
