The Duchess of Cambridge has given her support to two initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable fashion in the Commonwealth and children’s mental health
The Duchess of Cambridge has given her support to two initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable fashion in the Commonwealth and children’s mental health.
As Children’s Mental Health Week launches in the UK on February 5-11, 2018, the Duchess of Cambridge has led a public service announcement to urge people to help children feel comfortable with who they are.
In a video released by one of the key charities she patronises, Place2Be, Catherine urges adults to encourage children to be the “best versions of themselves”.
The Duchess, alongside husband Prince William and Prince Harry, has championed mental health awareness and is also patron to many youth-orientated charities and organisations.
She has helped inspire open conversations about children’s mental wellbeing and promotes intervention to help them as early as possible.
The video launches several days of campaigning in the coming week and was recorded during a visit to the Reach Academy in Feltham, London in January 2018.
There, Catherine spoke with students, parents and staff about Place2Be’s work in the school, which offers one-to-one support.
The charity says that more than 8 in 10 pupils who receive this support are affected by low self-esteem, but that encouragement to have a positive view of themselves results in an impact on their confidence and approach to coping with life’s challenges.
In a statement, Chief Executive Catherine Roche said: “We know that some children find it difficult to think of themselves positively, as it’s all too easy nowadays to compare ourselves negatively to others, especially online.
“This Children’s Mental Health Week we are encouraging everyone, and especially children and young people, to focus on what makes them who they are, and to celebrate their unique qualities and strengths.”
In the clip, the Duchess says: “Childhood is the time when we explore our personalities, discover the potential that lies within us and learn how to be ourselves.
“Our experience of the world at this early stage helps to shape who we become as adults, how we begin to feel comfortable in our own skin.”
“Some children will be facing tougher challenges than others, but I firmly believe that while we cannot change their circumstances, we can ensure that every child is given the best possible support to ensure they fulfill their true potential.”
In another venture, Catherine has joined with Sophie, Countess of Wessex to launch the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange, which encourages Commonwealth countries to work together towards sustainable fashion.
The Exchange will be held at Buckingham Palace on February 19, 2018 to showcase unique, sustainable outfits or fashion items created by Commonwealth artisans and designers.
They will also be showcased at a Buckingham Palace reception during London Fashion Week.
The initiative was started by consultancy company designer Livia Firth, who has said that “fast fashion” encourages a majority female, low-wage workforce to produce high volumes of cheap clothes.
Firth added that, by utilising the Commonwealth and unlocking the potential within the artisan fashion trade, the initiative can have a positive impact on poverty reduction and female empowerment.
Stella McCartney, Burberry and Karen Walker are some of the many designers involved in the project, which hopes to use fashion as a common platform and language to promote a better understanding of the modern Commonwealth.
