Prince and Princess of Wales to help fund mental health pilot for Sandringham Estate residents

The Prince and Princess of Wales will launch a pilot programme to boost mental health support for 1,500 people living on or near the Sandringham Estate.

The couple will co-fund the scheme to tackle isolation in rural and farming communities alongside Norfolk and Waveney Mind.

The two-year pilot will launch in 2025 and will provide in-person counselling, parent and toddler groups and targeted support for menopause and men's mental health.

Local employers will also receive mental health training, and if successful the pilot could be rolled out to other rural estates across the UK.

Earlier this year, Prince William pledged to provide mental health support for tenant farmers on the Duchy of Cornwall Estate.

The charity is also set to launch a new Talking Therapies service from its REST Heacham site, which will provide free counselling for anxiety and depression.

Sonja Chilvers, interim head of Norfolk and Waveney Mind, said: "We are all too aware of the specific mental health challenges faced by people in rural settings.

"We're delighted to be working with the Prince and Princess of Wales, who know our north-west Norfolk communities well, and we are keen to see the difference that this pilot will make to local people's mental health.

"Our innovative new partnership will drive proactive outreach and preventative measures to the whole community and form a vital step in better protecting the wellbeing of local people.

"If successful, it could be used as an example and replicated in other rural estates and communities across the UK."

This is the Royal Rota - our weekly podcast about the royal family, with ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship and Producer Lizzie Robinson.