Prince William launches sport mental health toolkit

What the report says

Prince William has launched a nationwide sport mental health toolkit aimed at making suicide prevention part of everyday sporting culture. The project, called On Your Side, is being introduced by the Prince of Wales and the Royal Foundation and is intended to give players, coaches, volunteers and officials practical guidance on how to respond when someone may be struggling.

BBC Sport reports that the toolkit is supported by more than 70 organisations, including the Football Association, Premier League, Team GB and British Cycling, along with mental health charities. It is being unveiled to mark World Suicide Prevention Day and will officially launch at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, where a “talking bench” has been installed in memory of former player Gary Speed, who died in 2011.

In remarks quoted by the BBC, Prince William said he wants sport to treat suicide prevention with the same normality as training and performance, and said support can make a life-changing difference. The article also notes that he has spoken previously about mental health. Alan Shearer, who was a friend of Speed, is among those backing the initiative.

The Royal Foundation says the project took two years to complete and involved consultation with the NHS, Samaritans and Mind. More broadly, the launch comes against a backdrop of continuing concern about suicide rates in England and Wales, particularly among men, which helps explain why the campaign is being positioned as a long-term resource rather than a one-day awareness effort.