Leading mental health charities are uniting for the first time to provide round the clock mental health support to those working on the frontline against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Backed by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Hospice UK and mental health charities Mind, Samaritans and Shout, supported by The Royal Foundation have launched Our Frontline, a combination of 1-2-1 support and online resources for NHS workers, carers, the Blue Light emergency services and key workers who are putting their mental health under pressure, while many of us do our bit by staying at home.
At a time when face to face contact is limited, Our Frontline is bringing together a number of services to provide important workers with round the clock support. Frontline staff and keyworkers can call or text a trained volunteer and access specially developed online resources, toolkits and advice to support their mental health and emotional wellbeing through this challenging time.
Hospice UK’s Dying Matters campaign has a wealth of information and advice to help people talk about dying, death and bereavement, and to make plans for the end of life which will help support people as they go through this difficult journey.
Tracey Bleakley, CEO of Hospice UK, said: “Hospice UK is committed to doing all it can to help those who are keeping us all safe and well. Our Dying Matters campaign has many resources to help people deal with grief and death, and we’re putting all we know into Our Frontline so that nobody doing an essential job feels that they have to go through this alone.”
The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is formally supporting Our Frontline and helping to ensure that frontline staff and key workers in need of help are aware that the services are available. The Foundation has a long history of raising awareness of the importance of mental health and played a leading role in creating Shout and the Mental Health at Work programme, both of which are key elements of the Our Frontline initiative.
His Royal Highness said of Our Frontline: “Over the past few weeks, millions of frontline workers across the UK have put their physical and mental health on the line to protect us all during the Coronavirus pandemic. Every day they confront traumatic situations at the same time as having to contend with their own worries about the risks to themselves and their families.
“That takes a real toll, and as I’ve seen for myself through my work with the Air Ambulance, without the right support at the right time the challenges they face will only be greater. Catherine and I, together with The Royal Foundation, will do all we can to support Our Frontline. This work will be our top priority for the months ahead.”
Mind, Samaritans and Shout along with Hospice UK will be working with employers, charities and representative groups to support key workers now and during the months ahead, to look after and later rebuild the mental health of frontline workers, alongside the economy and society.
Paul Farmer, CEO of Mind said: “Mind is delighted to be involved in Our Frontline – providing support for our hardworking key workers. Every day, those working in health and social care, 999 services and other vital roles – staff working in supermarkets, pharmacies, transport, catering and cleaning to name a few – face huge challenges to their physical and mental health. That’s why it’s so important they can easily access information and contact trained advisors to help promote good mental health, any time of day or night.”
For more information visit Our Frontline
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