Industry News 4 May 2021

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will lead the 2021 Mental Health Minute

Commercial, community, BBC local and BBC national radio stations are uniting once again to broadcast a special and important message in support of mental health awareness – and your station can get involved.

Taking place for a 4th year, the Mental Health Minute sees famous voices from the worlds of sport, music and more take to the airwaves all over the UK at exactly the same time, utilising radio’s immense power to spark important conversation across the nation. Today (Monday 10th May) the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge confirmed that they will join some of the UK’s most recognisable voices on this year’s Minute. 

As in previous years, the message will mark Mental Health Awareness Week but in a change for 2021, the minute will playout at 10:59am on Friday 14 May to mark the end of the week and remind audiences that the focus on good mental health doesn’t end when the week does and to continue the conversation. This year’s creative treatment will be written by poet, writer and mental health activist, Hussain Manawer. Led by Radiocentre and supported by The Royal Foundation’s Heads Together, the simulcast will once again be produced by Somethin’ Else. It will also be backed by a social media campaign with assets available for every station to use. 

2020’s Mental Health Minute was broadcast across 500 radio stations and reached more than 20 million people across the UK. It featured The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, alongside England captain Harry Kane, singer-songwriter Dua Lipa, actor David Tennant and two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. As well as creating a landmark moment for British radio with the moment gaining coverage from around the world the minute trended across social media.

Any Ofcom licensed commercial stations who aren’t yet on board but would like to be, should get in touch with George Butler at george.butler@radiocentre.org, or for any community stations wanting to take part, please contact Bill Best at bill.best@commedia.org.uk.