William and Kate highlight mental health support during Dundee visit

By The Press Association23rd October 2015News ScotlandBullying, Dundee / Tayside, Mental Health, News Scotland, Tayside, Young People / Youth Work, Youth Work

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will today highlight efforts being made to help and support young people with mental health issues during a visit to Dundee.

William and Kate, who are also known as the Earl and Countess of Strathearn in Scotland, are making their first visit to the city – a key centre of the UK’s video gaming industry.

They have carried out a number of engagements in recent weeks which have shone a light on the causes and consequences of mental health problems.

The Cambridges marked World Mental Health Day by meeting young people who have battled issues, the Duke has taken part in an anti-bullying workshop and the Duchess visited the Anna Freud Centre – a leading institution which helps youngsters with mental health problems.

At the Dundee Rep theatre the royal couple will chat to staff from the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival – an annual event being staged this month.

William and Kate will also be introduced to the performers and production staff behind a thought-provoking piece being staged tonight, as part of the festival, about a young woman with depression.

The royal couple will later visit The Corner, an institution which runs a drop-in centre for teenagers wanting advice on issues like contraception or exam stress, and peer-led and outreach services. They will also join an anti-bullying workshop organised by Scotland’s anti-bullying service, RespectMe.

A group of leaders in the Scottish mental health sector will outline issues for William and Kate when the royal couple join a meeting organised by Young Scotland In Mind, a forum for voluntary sector organisations wanting to improve the emotional and psychological well-being of youngsters.

The Cambridges’ last two royal engagements will cover different areas and see them tour explorer Captain Scott’s ship RRS (Royal Research Ship) Discovery, which was built in Dundee and carried him – and a young Ernest Shackleton – on their first expedition to Antarctica in 1901.

And they will end their day at Dundee’s Abertay University, celebrating the winners of a UK-wide Bafta game design competition for children and teenagers.