Something to Shout About: Crisis Text Line is in the UK

Crisis has no boundaries. There are millions of people struggling all over the world. And we want to help all of them. Everyone deserves mental health support at their fingertips.

Today, we’re drinking a cuppa tea (pinkies out) and celebrating the public launch of our service in the UK.

The Duke of Cambridge (aka, Prince William) made a video to promote Shout, the Crisis Text Line affiliate in the UK. Different name and number, same amazing support and tech platform. Like Crisis Text Line, Shout provides free, confidential support, 24/7 via text by a community of empathy MVPs.  

Here’s the video where The Duke of Cambridge pronfesses his love for Shout and Crisis Text Line.

We’re so proud that The Royal Foundation determined to bring Crisis Text Line to the UK and supported the launch resources and time. William, Catherine, Harry, and Meghan have each visited our offices in the UK a few times, meeting with staff and volunteers to see firsthand how the service and platform function.

The UK joins Canada, who launched Crisis Text Line in 2018 and is on track to process more than 200,000 conversations this year alone. Expect launches in Ireland, Australia, and South Africa before the end of the year. And we’re working on Latin America for early 2020. All international affiliates of Crisis Text Line use the same technology stack built by us in New York...for free. (Interested in bringing Crisis Text Line to your country? Click here.)

When I had dinner seated next to him in November 2016, it occurred to me that Prince William is doing for mental health what his mother Diana did for AIDS: be the first to shine light on an issue mired in stigma. Embracing the issue and people with AIDS, she changed everything. Already we see more celebrities, funding, orgs, and media attention for the suicide epidemic and mental health thanks to the efforts of Diana’s sons and their wives. We’re grateful they selected us to be part of their movement.