The Duchess of Cambridge will attend a lunch in support of the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
The Duchess of Cambridge will undertake her first engagement as Patron of the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families by attending a lunch reception supporting the development of a new Anna Freud Centre for children's mental health. During this engagement The Duchess will meet families who have benefited from the Centre, as well as key supporters, and see a short film about the ambitions of the organisation.
The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families is campaigning for a step change in children’s mental health. The Anna Freud Centre is a key aspect of this work and is due to open in the Autumn of 2018 in Kings Cross. The Centre will for the first time, bring together under one roof, the best people and organisations in mental health, education, social care and neuroscience, alongside children and their families. At its heart will be The Family School, for children aged 5-14 excluded from mainstream school, which combines mental health care and education. The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families has embarked on a £10million capital campaign to complete the £34million funding required for the project.
The Duchess, who became Patron of the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in February, has a continued interest in drawing attention to child mental health issues and the importance of early intervention and working with the whole family to provide children with in-school mental health services. Her Royal Highness is keen to draw attention to the ways in which this charity is working to lead a step change in children's and young people's mental health care.