It was just two and a half years ago that Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle worked together to establish the launch of mental health text service Shout. But even though the Fab Four may be a thing of the past, the crisis support program is still going strong.
On Wednesday, the Duchess of Cambridge visited team members and volunteers at the Shout 85258 headquarters in central London to mark a milestone: The platform recently reached one million conversations across the United Kingdom.
Dressed for the winter weather, Kate wore a long-sleeved khaki leopard-print dress by Derek Lam 10 Crosby and black knee-high boots for the engagement, adding a black suede belt by ba&sh and $14.50 twisted gold hoops from ASOS to tie the look together.
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The mom of three met with clinical supervisors, volunteers, and fundraisers, and commended them for ensuring that Shout is available to anyone in need for free, anytime day or night. She also watched a live demonstration of the text service in action.
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Launched in May 2019 by the Cambridges and Sussexes, Shout—which was developed with a founding grant from the Royal Foundation as a legacy of its Heads Together campaign—continues to be the only 24/7 text service in Britain offering free and confidential help for anyone struggling to cope.
Like Crisis Text Line in the United States, it relies on trained volunteers to provide round-the-clock support to those feeling anxious, stressed, depressed, suicidal, overwhelmed, or just in need of support. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Shout has seen demand jump by 140 percent and is currently calling for more volunteers to help.
Kate also met with individuals carrying out fundraising efforts to help Shout operate at its full potential, including 13-year-old Leo Street, who raised more than $10,800 by sleeping outside in a hammock for all of 2021. Leo wore his Scouts uniform for the occasion, which didn’t go unnoticed by the duchess, who is joint president of the global youth movement.
“It’s extraordinary what you did,” an impressed Kate told the boy. “I could not believe that [when I read it]! Rain, shine, sleet, snow … it snowed last year! And this wasn’t in a tent, was it? Just a hammock. … You’re very inspiring!”
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Before leaving, Kate joined a small group of Shout volunteers to hear about their experiences of helping others and what skills they have gained in the process.
“It’s amazing to see how much work goes into Shout,” Kate told the volunteers. “Now more than ever, people need support like this and what you’re doing is so important.”
Last month, William chose three charities to each receive a five-figure donation from Apple for his special holiday episode of Apple Fitness+’s Time to Walk: Shout, Crisis, and Australia’s Lifeline.
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