Prince William Joins Forces with Harry Kane to Launch Landmark Suicide Prevention Sports Toolkit
Marking World Suicide Prevention Day, Prince William hosted a major royal engagement at Everton Football Club’s stadium in Liverpool to unveil ‘On Your Side’, a pioneering suicide prevention toolkit crafted specifically for the sports sector. The Prince of Wales was joined by prominent British sports icons including Dame Kelly Holmes, Jill Scott, Sir Jason Kenny, and Dame Laura Kenny. Addressing hundreds of attendees, the heir to the throne emphasized that athletic environments possess an unparalleled ability to reach individuals who struggle in silence and rarely access conventional mental health services.
Co-produced by The Royal Foundation in partnership with the British Standards Institution (BSI) and mental health charity Chasing the Stigma, the initiative offers practical resources adaptable for grassroots leagues and elite athletic academies alike. At the heart of the comprehensive framework lies “GOALS,” an accessible five-step method designed to guide coaches, athletes, and staff: Get ready, Open the conversation, Ask the question, Listen and respond, and Support and signpost. This practical approach demystifies high-stakes interventions, providing sports personnel with the knowledge required to identify distress indicators before crises escalate.
The launch is reinforced by a high-impact campaign short film starring England football captain Harry Kane, created to dismantle lingering masculine stigmas surrounding mental distress. Demonstrating broad institutional backing across the United Kingdom, governing bodies including The Football Association, the Premier League, British Cycling, and Team GB have officially pledged to prioritize mental wellbeing across their operations. The collaborative urgency addresses a grave public health reality, with suicide claiming over 7,000 lives annually across the U.K. as the leading cause of mortality among men under 50.
Highlighting the unique influence of locker-room camaraderie, Chasing the Stigma CEO Jake Mills remarked that meeting individuals within comfortable athletic settings significantly accelerates intervention outcomes. By integrating life-saving protocols into everyday community sports, the initiative bridges structural knowledge gaps and equips clubs with standardized safety measures. Championed by Prince William’s convening power alongside world-class athletic role models, ‘On Your Side’ establishes a transformative framework to protect vulnerable lives through the enduring community power of British sport.