TALENTED actor, writer and filmmaker Cat White has a new role as an ambassador for Warrington-based charity PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide.
Cat, who has just been listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2022 – ranking alongside our brightest young entrepreneurs, leaders and stars – says she is “happy and proud” to be working with PAPYRUS.
She says her mission will be to help spread a positive message of hope. “I discovered PAPYRUS after losing a friend to suicide and writing a film about my own experience of trying to heal from that with wild swimming.
“Since then, PAPYRUS have been a rock and steadfast help to me and so many others. I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the team as an ambassador. I want to be part of this wave of providing hope and of reminding people that you are never alone, that there is always someone out there who wants to listen and who cares, and let people know that their life is important,” she said
Cat is a gender advisor to the United Nations and founder and CEO of Kusini Productions, a platform established to create opportunities, change the narrative and champion the voices of Black women and girls.
“I’m especially proud to be here as a member of the Black community and I hope I can also be that representative face for people who look like me and maybe don’t know how to talk about their mental health. I’m so, so happy and proud to go on this journey with the incredible PAPYRUS team and to really make a change and provide hope to everyone who needs it,” she added.
Cat starred in the Channel 4 drama Threesome and can be seen in Ten Percent, the UK remake of hit Netflix show Call My Agent.
Her debut book This Thread of Gold and essay series The Black Take are due to be published by Hachette UK Dialogue Books next year.
Cat’s debut screenplay Fifty-Four Days, which she also stars in and produced, is made in partnership with PAPYRUS. It explores mental health, race, friendship, grief and wild swimming as a form of healing.
Ged Flynn, Chief Executive of PAPYRUS said: “We are delighted to welcome Cat as our new ambassador. She is a bright young star possessing enormous energy and vitality, a range of creative talents, skills and expertise.
“In her new role, Cat will help us to share the message that many young suicides can be prevented, that we can all help to make our communities suicide-safer and give hope to young people who are struggling with life.”
Cat is also leading the design and development of a mental health, sport and gender equality programme for teenage girls with the UN and the Premier League and is developing Sister Like Me, an empowerment programme for young Black women in collaboration with Race Council Cymru in Wales.
