Technology and Science10 September, 20262 min read
Prince William Launches On Your Side Suicide Prevention Guidance With Harry Kane in Liverpool
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Prince William and sports stars unveil suicide prevention guidance at Everton's ground. Event timed to World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept 10.
8 outlets told this the same way.
On Your Side Launch
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, is launching the suicide prevention guidance called On Your Side at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool on World Suicide Prevention Day, with England captain Harry Kane among the sporting stars backing the initiative. The project is designed to help people in sporting environments “spot warning signs” and provide support before a mental health crisis occurs, and it is being promoted through a short film featuring Kane and Formula 1 driver George Russell.
“On Your Side will help organisations build the knowledge, confidence and practical approaches needed for suicide prevention.”
In a foreword to the 72-page document, William writes that he has met people whose lives have been saved because “someone stepped in to help,” and he says the toolkit “gives you clear, practical guidance” to start an honest conversation. The guidance includes advice on asking direct questions such as “are you thinking about suicide?” and it debunks the “myth” that talking about suicide promotes the idea, stating: “In fact, it opens up a conversation that can help someone feel heard, less alone and more willing to seek support.”
Sporting Voices and GOALS
Alan Shearer, speaking around the Everton staging, described the toolkit as “the first suicide prevention toolkit designed for the whole of UK sport,” and he said: “You don't have to be an expert. You don't have to have all the answers.”
Shearer also tied the launch to Gary Speed, saying it was particularly poignant that the event would be at Everton, “one of the clubs where Gary Speed had played,” and he added that Speed “died by suicide in 2011.”
The initiative’s sports-themed approach is built around GOALS, with the BBC describing it as “G: get ready; O: open the conversation; A: ask the question; L: listen and respond and S: support and signpost.”
Hazel Detsiny, executive director at the Royal Foundation, said sport has “an unparalleled reach and influence” and that suicide remains “one of the most serious public health issues we face with over 7,000 deaths a year across the UK.”
Commitments and Wider Network
The Football Association, the Premier League and British Cycling are set to announce commitments to implement the toolkit, while Team GB is also expected to use the resource with athletes and staff. Kensington Palace said the toolkit is relevant to “everyone involved in sport, including players, coaches, staff, volunteers, families and spectators,” and it is being produced in partnership with the British Standards Institution and the mental health charity Chasing the Stigma.
“The National Suicide Prevention Network was launched in 2025 with the help of £1 million of funding from the Royal Foundation.”
The Royal Foundation has also backed a National Suicide Prevention Network launched in 2025, with CNA reporting it was launched with the help of £1 million of funding from the Royal Foundation. The guidance is intended to be used through Chasing the Stigma’s Hub of Hope, which is described as “the UK’s largest mental health directory,” and the Royal Foundation’s Hazel Detsiny said sport cannot prevent suicide on its own but can create “supportive environments needed to make conversations about suicide feel possible.”