William described his first volunteering session as ‘terrifying’ (
Image: Getty Images)

The future ling opened up about his time volunteering at a crisis centre for young people during the Covid pandemic – and admitted the experience has stayed with him

Prince William has recalled the emotional toll of volunteering at a crisis centre for young people, and a ‘terrifying’ aspect of the job.

William previously volunteered with Shout, a round-the-clock text messaging helpline developed by his Royal Foundation and launched in 2020.

“I did volunteering for a bit back over Covid, and some of those conversations lived with me for quite a long time afterwards,” he told members of a youth advisory board during an engagement in west London. “You always say to yourself, ‘Did I give enough, did I do enough, did I find the right answer?'”

Of his initial session, he admitted: “The first one was quite terrifying.” William paid a visit to Mental Health Innovations (MHI), a charity established by the Royal Foundation, to mark its merger last year with The Mix, a digital youth support charity.

He was shown a new website for The Mix that goes live later this year and has been streamlined and made user friendly. William expressed concern about the increasing number of children reaching out for help and asked if the age of users was getting younger.

He was told that sadly children as young as eight had used the service to discuss self-harm and suicidal thoughts. “We are digging into some of the real bad things in society,” William said.

Prince William, Princess Kate, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry launched Shout, a mental health texting service, in 2019. At the time, the Prince of Wales said, “As texting is private and silent, it opens up a whole new way to find help.” He continued, “You can have a conversation anywhere, at anytime: at school, at home, anywhere.”

Kate further explained, “It’s able to offer support when it is crucially needed and the opportunity to turn lives around. This really is an important step for those desperately in need.”

While launching the service, William addressed how challenging volunteering can be. “[Volunteering] is not for everyone…There are some very difficult conversations,” he explained. “You need to be able to listen without judgment on a range of issues from suicidal thoughts to bullying, abuse, sexuality, self-harm, and relationships.”

It comes after William and Kate marked St David’s Day last week by visiting Pontypridd , where they made Welsh cakes. Elsewhere, Kate offered volunteers at a community garden her recipe for plum jam.

On Saturday, William then used his first message delivered in Welsh to wish Wales a “Happy St David’s Day”. William pre-recorded a social media video to mark March 1, the day Wales’s patron saint is honoured, and “to celebrate Wales – its history, its culture, and its incredible people”.

While he is not having formal lessons, it is understood William has been learning some conversational Welsh but it is not known who is teaching him the language, or if he is attending classes at an institution. He is understood to have used Duolingo, an app which offers lessons in various languages, to improve his Welsh.

The future king said in his message: “Hello. Today, on St David’s Day, we come together to celebrate Wales – its history, its culture, and its incredible people. From its breathtaking landscapes to its language, Wales continues to inspire. Today, we will celebrate everything that is magical about Wales. To the people of Wales and everybody around the world , Happy St David’s Day.”