Prince William reveals his 'secret' job at a crisis text line
Prince William has revealed a “secret” — he has been volunteering at a crisis text line for people struggling with mental health issues during the coronavirus lockdown.
In a video call that occurred last month but was shared on social media Friday by William and Kate Middleton’s official Instagram account Kensington Palace, the duke disclosed, “I’m going to share a little secret with you guys” before explaining that he has been volunteering with Shout, the United Kingdom's first 24/7 crisis text line co-created by the couple, along with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
According to the BBC, the prince uses a pseudonym on the app. “It operates 24/7 and connects people to trained volunteers who provide help at a time when it is most needed,” William said in a May 2019 video to announce the service, “enabling them to move from crises to calm and to find longer-term support.” According to People, William always intended to volunteer, when his schedule freed up.
During the call, Middleton added, “You guys are out there volunteering in your own ways. Everybody’s got something to give back.”
I am proud to announce the launch of @GiveUsAShout, a new 24-7 textline that supports people who need advice in a tough moment.
At the heart of Shout will be an incredible national volunteer community — I hope you will join us, and be part of something very special #GiveUsAShout pic.twitter.com/SgeCGtie1q— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) May 10, 2019
Prince William is one of more than 1,800 Shout volunteers. According to the Royal Foundation, the service has engaged in over 300,000 text conversations, with roughly two-thirds of those exchanges involving people under the age of 25.
On Friday, Shout tweeted that Prince William’s “empathy for people experiencing difficulty” is a great asset to the organization.
The royals also wrapped U.K.’s Volunteers’ Week, during the first week in June, by sharing a Saturday Instagram photo of William, walking in the rain with his two eldest children, Prince George, 6, and Princess Charlotte, 5, (the duke and duchess are also parents to Prince Louis, 2) with the caption, “In April, The Duke and Duchess and their family visited the Sandringham Estate where they packed up and delivered food parcels to isolated pensioners in the local area.” Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth sent a warm message to volunteers via Instagram.
For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC’s and WHO’s resource guides.
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