Kate Middleton meets mothers in Battersea Park to discuss life during coronavirus lockdown

The Duchess of Cambridge has heard how parents are helping each other out during the coronavirus pandemic.

Kate, 38, spoke to mothers and their children who have been giving and receiving vital support during the crisis from organisations such as Home-Start, who help parents takle issues from post-natal depression to bereavement.

The mother-of-three was greeted in the autumn sunshine in the picturesque Old English Garden in Battersea Park, south London.

Kate - mother to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - casually dressed in a white top, pink trousers and white trainers and holding sunglasses, spoke with the mothers, whose children were in pushchairs, as they sat socially distanced on wooden park benches.

Kate was told how peer groups struggled to meet up in person during Covid-19 lockdown but kept up their work on Zoom and regular phone calls.

Single-mums Irma Martus, 47, and Carol Elliott, 41, told the duchess how they had been helped out with weekly check-up phone calls from volunteer Home-Start Wandsworth during the pandemic.

A survey revealed two-thirds of mums are not confident they can get the right mental health and many unable to speak to GPs or their family during the pandemic.

Kate said: "Does it help emotionally too? You feel less judged? Everybody needs to have those friendships." She added: "It must be difficult to meet up socially-distancing."

Afterwards, Irma, who was referred to Home-Start after her 22-month-old son Emmanuel was diagnosed with Down's syndrome, said: "She said she was passionate about support for single mums through peer support."

Carol said: "I said my volunteer calls me every week and they feel like a proper friend and she said everyone needs friends."

The duchess also met mums Nalini Sadai and Jessie Brett who provide peer to peer mum support for the National Childbirth Trust (NCT). Both told her they use their own experiences when helping new mums.

Kate said: "It's good being able to listen and being listened while being off guard. It is so important for your emotional well-being. With your experiences its so important that you've been through it. Without what you are providing, that form of relationship, you can feel so isolated. You should be very proud."

Christine Thatai, 37, and Morgan Cassius, 29, told the duchess they held daily 11am Zoom calls with other mums via an app called Mush.

Kate removed her sunglasses and raised a smile, cooing over Morgan's six-month-old daughter Makena-Grace.

Morgan said afterwards: "I told her lockdown was difficult because I couldn't go swimming or meeting friends just stuck inside with the TV."

Christine said: "Kate was very interested in how we struck up friendships."

Earlier the duchess, held a video call with eight organisations from across the country to talk about helping parents with young children.

​Others included Parents 1st, the Island House Charity Community Parent Programme based in Tower Hamlets, Better Start Blackpool, Applied Research Collaboration – North West coast, the children’s charity Coram, and Leeds Dads.

She said: "A huge well done to all of you, I know there’s a big team of you out there in communities across the country. Both William and I hear about how vital these relationships are to families – they’re a real lifeline. So to you and your army of volunteers out there, a huge well done. I, like you, would love to see peer-to-peer support more embedded and celebrated in communities and society as a whole.”

Sarah McMullan, of the NCT who was on the call, said: "It was brilliant for the duchess to put the spotlight on mental health issues and how peer support can make a difference."

According to a lockdown survey run by Home-Start UK, Best Beginnings and Parent-Infant Foundation during Covid-19, only around three in 10 parents (32 per cent) were confident that they could find help for their mental health if they needed it. And 4 in 10 (38 per cent) pregnant respondents were concerned about getting reliable pregnancy information and advice.

The park meeting came as the Duke of Cambridge revealed that fatherhood has increased his desire to protect nature for future generations.

Prince William was joined by a film crew two years ago, who recorded his search for ways to protect the natural world for the ITV documentary Prince William: A Planet For Us All - to be aired next month.

The duke said he has "always loved nature", but fatherhood has given him "a new sense of purpose".

Last week, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge rolled up their sleeves to help make savoury treats at the famous Beigel Bake Brick Lane Bakery.

William and Kate spent an afternoon east London as part of a number of engagements to highlight how communities have been coping during the coronavirus pandemic.

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