Wednesday 9 September 2026 17:48, UK Image: Prince William The landmark event will take place at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool on World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10.Dame Kelly Holmes, Gabby Logan, Campbell Hatton, Jill Scott and Dame Laura Kenny are among those joining the Prince of Wales at the launch of ‘On Your Side’. The toolkit, developed by The Royal Foundation in partnership with the British Standards Institution and mental health charity Chasing the Stigma, aims to turn suicide prevention into everyday practice across the sporting sector.It will be available on Chasing the Stigma’s Hub of Hope, the UK’s largest mental health directory.To mark the launch, The Royal Foundation has also produced a short film encouraging people to have the confidence to start a conversation about suicide. The film features England captain Harry Kane, Formula 1 driver George Russell, two-weight world champion boxer Carl Frampton, GB international basketball player Kofi Josephs, Women’s Rugby World Cup winner Rocky Clark, double world champion boxer, kickboxer and Muay Thai champion Ruqsana Begum and former elite jockey-turned-jockey coach George Baker. The toolkit explains how to: Create safe and supportive environments where people feel able to speak up and support others in distress, including outlining appropriate language and providing conversation starters.
Make suicide prevention part of everyday practice, including policies and ways of working. Educate those within sports organisations on how to spot the signs and respond to someone in crisis. Put clear procedures in place for crisis situations and supporting after a suicide, including directing people to relevant support. The Football Association, Premier League, British Cycling and Team GB are among the major sporting organisations committing to implement the toolkit.The FA, of which The Prince is patron, will commit to embedding the toolkit across its entire organisation, as well as its community and grassroots football network.The Premier League and British Cycling will announce their commitment to prioritising suicide prevention across their organisations, while Team GB will use the resource with all athletes and staff.More than a dozen other sports organisations have also signed up to become champions of the toolkit, committing to embedding practical, evidence-based suicide prevention techniques across their organisations.The guidance includes advice on creating safe and supportive environments where people feel able to speak up and support others in distress, including appropriate language and conversation starters.It also explains how to make suicide prevention part of everyday practice, educate people to spot warning signs and respond to someone in crisis, and put clear procedures in place for crisis situations and supporting people following a suicide.At the centre of the resource is a five-step framework called GOALS, designed to help individuals start a conversation about suicide.
It stands for:Get readyOpen the conversationAsk the questionListen and respondSupport and signpostThe toolkit is designed for use across all sporting environments, from local clubs and academies to elite organisations, regardless of size, structure or level. It is relevant to everyone involved in sport, including players, coaches, staff, volunteers, families and spectators.Research commissioned by The Royal Foundation found that the sports sector has the potential to be a powerful platform for suicide prevention, but is hampered by stigma – particularly among men and elite athletes – as well as gaps in skills, knowledge and resources.The findings also showed strong goodwill and pockets of effective practice across sport, but that the sector’s scale and diversity mean activity is often siloed, inconsistent and unevenly resourced. At grassroots level, many clubs lack clear guidance on how to recognise risk and respond appropriately.During the event, representatives from across the sports ecosystem will also have the opportunity to share insights and reflections from their own organisations in a session hosted by Sue Gregory, CEO of Everton in the Community.The initiative builds on the National Suicide Prevention Network, launched in autumn 2025 with more than £1m of funding from The Royal Foundation over an initial three-year period.The network aims to deliver lasting change in how suicide is understood and prevented across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.The Prince and Princess of Wales and The Royal Foundation have made changing the conversation around mental health and suicide prevention a longstanding priority, with the aim of tackling stigma and helping people find the right support at the right time and in the right place.
