Prince William and Kate launch suicide prevention toolkit with sports stars
Prince William and the Princess of Wales launched On Your Side, a suicide prevention toolkit for sport, at Everton's stadium on World Suicide Prevention Day.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have launched a new suicide prevention initiative called On Your Side, designed to use the power of sport to help people support those in mental health crisis. The launch took place at Everton's new stadium in Liverpool on World Suicide Prevention Day, with a line-up of sporting stars including Dame Kelly Holmes, Jill Scott, Dame Laura Kenny and Tony Bellew.
The royal couple met Carol Speed, mother of former Everton and Wales midfielder Gary Speed, who took his own life in 2011. A memorial bench dedicated to Gary Speed sits outside the stadium, and the couple spent time talking to Carol, who supports the campaign. The initiative is an extension of Prince William's suicide prevention project, which began a year ago.
On Your Side is a website and app that provides practical guidance for anyone involved in sport, from coaches and players to fans and parents. It aims to give people the confidence to spot warning signs and start conversations, including asking directly: "Are you thinking about suicide?" A video released to promote the toolkit features England captain Harry Kane and Formula One driver George Russell, among others.
In his speech, Prince William spoke about the importance of connection and belonging. "Sport creates belonging, it creates identity, it creates connection," he said. "Those connections really matter when somebody is struggling. Often it is not a professional who first notices. It's a friend, a coach, a colleague, a teammate." He added: "If there is anyone listening today who is struggling, who feels overwhelmed, isolated or without hope, please know this: you are not alone."
The Princess of Wales made an unexpected appearance, joining her husband at the event. Her presence was seen as a sign of how important mental health is to both of them. The initiative is aimed particularly at men, as suicide remains the biggest cause of death for men under 50 in the UK.
Personal stories were shared at the launch. Connor and Frankie, who were helped by the charity James's Place, spoke about the difficulty of opening up. "It's like the biggest lie that we tell is, oh yeah, I'm fine," one of them said. Dame Kelly Holmes, who has spoken about her own struggles, said: "We know that from today, with everyone collectively doing this, we will save people's lives."
The toolkit is backed by a range of sports bodies, including the Football Association, Team England and Team GB, as well as grassroots clubs. Prince William said the aim is to make it easier for ordinary people to have difficult conversations. "You don't need to be an expert to support someone who's struggling," he said.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince William launched suicide prevention guidance called On Your Side with sports stars and charities at Everton's stadium on World Suicide Prevention Day, aimed at helping people support someone in a mental health crisis. | ||||
| The toolkit is called On Your Side. | ||||
| Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50. | · | |||
| The Princess of Wales made an unexpected appearance alongside her husband. | · | · | ||
| Harry Kane and George Russell are backing Prince William's Royal Foundation initiative. | · | · | · | |
| Kate decided to support Prince William on his task. | · | · | · | |
| Researchers say asking directly about suicide does not do more harm than good. | · | · | · | |
| The initiative is an extension of the suicide prevention project launched a year ago. | · | · | · | |
| The new project is for all sports. | · | · | · | |
| The Prince and Princess met Gary Speed's mother Carol at the launch. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 5's coverage, particularly in the evening programme with Dan Walker, focused on the human stories behind the launch, including interviews with Gary Speed's mother and people helped by charity James's Place. It emphasised the emotional weight of the day and the practical advice of the toolkit, with a strong message that asking directly about suicide can save lives.
- “You are not alone.”
- “It's like the biggest lie that we tell is, oh yeah, I'm fine.”
- “I think it's amazing, it's a truly brilliant trust and what they're trying to raise awareness for is vitally important.”
Sky News provided a detailed report with royal correspondent Laura Bundock, highlighting the significance of the location and the involvement of the Princess of Wales. It stressed the importance of the initiative in reaching men, noting the statistic that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50, and explained the practical purpose of the toolkit.
- “sport creates belonging, it creates identity, it creates connection”
- “it's about having the conversation it's about asking vulnerable people to talk specifically about suicide”
- “we do know depressingly that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50”
BBC ONE West focused on the unexpected appearance of the Princess of Wales and the united front presented by the royal couple, set against the backdrop of recent family drama. It highlighted the scale of the problem, particularly among men, and stressed that the project is for all sports, with the ultimate aim of saving lives.
- “You are not alone”
- “It's a truly frightening statistic and it's one we shouldn't really be discussing”
- “The new project is for all sports with the ultimate aim of saving lives”
ITV1's coverage, across both the Evening News and News at Ten, emphasised the practical nature of the toolkit and the importance of asking direct questions. It highlighted the late addition of the Princess of Wales and included strong quotes from William and Dame Kelly Holmes, framing the day as a step towards normalising conversations about suicide.
- “You don't need to be an expert to support someone who's struggling.”
- “If there is one thing the Prince and Princess hope today has shown, it's that asking is better than saying nothing.”
- “We know that from today, with everyone collectively doing this, we will save people's lives and that is what it's all about.”
Broadcast Timeline
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