Prince William launches suicide prevention initiative and warns about mental health

The Prince of Wales said that we do not always see what is happening behind closed doors as he launched his suicide prevention initiative. The Princess of Wales joined her husband in Liverpool for the launch of the On Your Side toolkit, aimed at helping the sports sector tackle serious mental health issues among players, coaches and fans. It was the Princess’s first engagement since the Royal family’s summer break at Balmoral, and a show of support for a major new campaign for the Prince.

In a speech at Everton’s Hill Dickinson stadium, the Prince said sport has the ability to reach people who may never walk through the door of a mental healthcare service. He added that reaching out is not a sign of weakness and is a sign of strength. The toolkit, developed with the British Standards Institution and mental health charity Chasing the Stigma, is being supported by the Royal Foundation.

Attempting to tackle the fear and misunderstanding around suicide, the toolkit states there is no evidence that asking someone directly if they are thinking about suicide accelerates those thoughts. Its five-step framework, Goals, stands for Get ready, Open the conversation, Ask the question, Listen and respond, and Support and signpost. It will be used immediately by 18 organisations including the Football Association, the Premier League, British Cycling, the British Horseracing Authority, England Rugby and Team GB.

Arriving at the stadium, the Prince and Princess made their way to the Gary Speed memorial bench and met his mother Carol. They also met bereaved families who have lost relatives involved in sport to suicide before viewing a digital prototype of the toolkit in the players’ changing room. The event was hosted by sports broadcaster Gabby Logan, with guests including former Olympic runner Dame Kelly Holmes.