The Cambridges Share Message Amidst Time to Change Closure

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared a message thanking everyone who has been involved in Time to Change's campaign to end mental health stigma. Following fifteen years of tireless efforts, Time to Change is sadly closing its doors next month due to the government's decision to end funding.

The Duchess said, "Movements like Time to Change have helped to transform attitudes and encourage more openness about mental health in schools, communities and the workplace. However, the work isn’t done yet and we cannot afford to stop here. It's so important that we value our mental health just as much as we value our physical health." William added, "Over the past 15 years, Time to Change champions have inspired and supported thousands of people across the country, and mental health has now, at last, moved into the mainstream as part of our daily lives."

It's incredibly sad news and there will be an important piece missing in the ongoing battle to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health in the UK. It was set up in 2006 by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness in response to immense challenges faced by struggling people. The charities knew attitudes needed to change and set out to educate, inform and campaign for better understanding. Their efforts were admirable. The campaign found a 12.7% improvement in public attitudes, equating to 5.4 million people, an increase in public knowledge around mental health of 10%, and a reduction in discrimination reported by people with lived experience. So much has been achieved, yet there is still much to do in this area. Amid the fallout from the pandemic, mental health supports are more vital than ever.

There were initial bursts of funding from Comic Relief with ongoing support from the Department of Health and Social Care, which will not be continuing. The charity shared their reaction to the disappointing news, saying, "At the beginning of November we received written confirmation from Government of its decision to stop funding Time to Change. We were very disappointed that the letter did not outline the Government’s plans to address mental health stigma and discrimination into the future."

Below, a special video filled with highlights and personal stories.

Jo Loughran, Director of Time to Change, said:

 “Over 13 million adults in England, that’s 1 in 4 of us, will experience a mental health problem each year. Thanks to the Time to Change movement, we have seen an outstanding improvement in the way we all think and act about mental health. Many more of us are now comfortable disclosing a mental health problem without shame or fear of judgement. Ultimately this is the very first step in getting the help, support and treatment we need, and deserve.

“Time to Change has created a strong legacy where more people living with mental health problems are able to live their lives to the full without stigma damaging their relationships, education, career and ambitions. But despite phenomenal progress, our research shows that certain groups have not yet felt the benefit of improvements in public attitudes or behaviour change – including those living with less understood diagnoses such as schizophrenia or people from black and minority ethnic communities.

“We had hoped to continue to fight for equity and end discrimination, working with these communities and others whose lives continue to be severely impacted. Sadly, we will not be able to carry out this vital work but will spend the coming months making sure that our ambition is driven forward within the work of Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.  

Jo added: “We know that in times of financial hardship, attitudes towards people with mental health problems tend to deteriorate, so there is a real threat that the improvements we’ve achieved will slide backwards. Right now, the true impact of the pandemic on our mental health is still unknown. What we do know is that there are difficult and uncertain times ahead and it has never been more important to look after ourselves and our friends and family: to talk, to listen and to check-in. That is why we will be working with individuals, organisations and communities right up until the last moment of our current funding and encouraging them to continue campaigning into the future.”

Below, the Cambridges meeting volunteers from Time to Change on World Mental Health Day 2015.

The Duchess wore a black turtleneck and gold hoop earrings.

Time to Change has shared a page with ways to help its parent charities in the future.