Prince William has launched a nationwide initiative designed to make suicide prevention a routine part of sporting culture, from grassroots clubs to elite competition.
The Prince of Wales and the Royal Foundation introduced On Your Side, an online toolkit providing practical resources for people involved in sport who are concerned that a teammate, colleague, athlete or friend may be struggling with their mental health.
More than 70 organisations are supporting the initiative, including the Football Association, Premier League, Team GB and British Cycling, alongside major mental health charities.
The project is intended to close gaps in the way mental health concerns are handled across sport. While many organisations already provide support, Prince William believes access and guidance can vary considerably, particularly at grassroots level. On Your Side therefore focuses on helping ordinary people recognise warning signs, start difficult conversations and connect someone with appropriate professional support.
The toolkit has been released on 10 September to mark World Suicide Prevention Day, although the Royal Foundation says the programme has been designed as a long-term project rather than a single awareness campaign. Its development took around two years and included consultation with the NHS, Samaritans and Mind.
Official figures underline the scale of the issue. Office for National Statistics data show that 6,190 suicides were registered in England and Wales during 2024. Suicide remains the leading cause of death among men under 50, while the recorded suicide rate among males stood at 17.6 deaths per 100,000 people, compared with 5.7 among females.
Several prominent British sports figures are helping promote the programme. England football captain Harry Kane, Formula 1 driver George Russell and former England rugby international Rochelle “Rocky” Clark appear in a campaign video introducing the initiative.
The formal launch is taking place at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium. The venue has a particular connection to suicide prevention through a talking bench installed during its construction in memory of former Everton player Gary Speed.
Speed, the former Wales captain and manager who also represented Leeds United, Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United during his career, died by suicide in November 2011.
Alan Shearer, a close friend and former teammate of Speed, has also backed On Your Side. The former England striker’s involvement highlights one of the programme’s central messages: people do not need professional mental health training to offer useful initial support. Listening, asking someone how they are coping and directing them towards appropriate help can all play an important role.
Prince William has increasingly used sport as a platform for mental health initiatives, arguing that clubs and teams are well placed to reach people who may otherwise struggle to seek help.
With On Your Side, the Royal Foundation wants suicide prevention to become embedded in everyday sporting environments alongside training, performance, safeguarding and physical wellbeing.
The aim is to ensure that coaches, athletes, volunteers, officials, supporters and club staff have clearer guidance when they believe somebody around them may need help — turning sport’s strong community networks into another route towards potentially life-saving support.