What a week! Celebrating the Bundesliga win with my family at the game on Saturday was incredible. Now, it's Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW), which is also hugely important to me. Through my foundation, we're supporting some amazing charities doing vital work.
For example, we're proudly supporting the RBLI’s Lifeworks programme. It's brilliant – helping veterans gain the skills they need for meaningful jobs after service. I’m so proud of the veterans who have put themselves forward. It’s never easy to talk about things that haven’t gone well, but we must remember that isolation is dangerous too. Lifeworks is a great example of the real benefits of connecting with others and realising our potential. Service men and women have much to offer – they are great team players. It is no surprise to me that 80% of veterans taking part secure work quickly.At the heart of the year-long programme is a four-day, in-person course held at various locations throughout the UK, and this MHAW, over 100 veterans will be attending the Lifeworks course in Colchester, so a big shout out to those guys!
Another charity close to my heart is Bounce Forward. For the past couple of years, Kate and I have been working with them to bring a Healthy Minds Curriculum to secondary schools across England. We co-created some lesson plans to help students understand and manage their feelings, build resilience, and believe in themselves. It's been amazing to see more schools getting involved! This week, we're also launching free Raise Resilience workshops for parents nationwide – six sessions packed with tools to help build their kids' mental strength and emotional wellbeing. Stronger families build stronger communities, and we’re delighted to be offering these amazing workshops. More information will follow later this week.
Finally, I was delighted to work with the Mental Health Foundation for the second year running. They are the charity behind Mental Health Awareness Week, and we’ve collaborated again on their school pack that’s gone out to over 12,000 schools nationwide. I’ve shared some top tips and filmed a video for their campaign this year, encouraging everyone to wear green on May 15th. It's such a simple way for workplaces, schools, and communities to come together and raise awareness.
Supporting mental health for everyone is something I truly care about, and I'm excited to see the impact this week will have.
Importantly, if anyone out there is struggling, remember Shout is a free, 24/7 text service in the UK. Just text "Shout" to 85258 if you need some support.
