Place2BeKate Middleton launched Children's Mental Health Week in the U.K. with a special PSA.
The theme of the new campaign, which runs through Feb. 11 and was created by Place2Be, is "Being Ourselves." It encourages children and young adults to feel comfortable with who they are and to celebrate what makes them unique. The Duchess of Cambridge, who has been a patron of Place2Be since 2013, filmed the video during last month's visit to Reach Academy Feltham, where Her Royal Highness spoke to parents, students and school principal Ed Vainker.
"Childhood is an incredibly important moment in our lives. It 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," Middleton says in the PSA. "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. This is best achieved when we, the adults in their lives, work together to give children the emotional strength they need to face their futures and thrive. Whether we are school leaders, teachers, support staff or parents, we each have a role to play. When we are open and honest with each other about the challenges we face, we can work together to ensure the children in our care have the chance to become the best version of themselves."
Place2Be is the U.K.'s leading children's mental health charity, offering in-school support and training to improve the emotional wellbeing of families, staff members, students and teachers.
"We know from our work in schools 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," Catherine Roche, chief executive of Place2Be, said tells E! News. "We'll all face difficult times in our lives, but helping children to have a positive view of themselves can help them find the inner strength and resilience to cope with those challenges."