Prince William is using the influence of sport to encourage stronger mental-health and suicide-prevention support
The Prince of Wales has launched a new initiative aimed at helping the sporting community recognise signs of emotional distress and provide support to people who may be struggling with their mental health.
The initiative, known as “On Your Side,” is being introduced as part of a wider effort to make suicide prevention a more familiar and practical part of sporting environments across the United Kingdom.
Prince William is launching the initiative alongside a group of prominent figures from the sporting world, including Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes and former England footballer Alan Shearer. England captain Harry Kane is also supporting the campaign through a short film highlighting the importance of starting conversations when someone appears to be struggling.
The launch coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day and is taking place at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool.
A New Approach Through Sport
The “On Your Side” initiative is built around a simple idea: sporting communities can play an important role in noticing when someone is not doing well and helping them find appropriate support.
The toolkit has been developed by the Royal Foundation, Prince William and Catherine’s charitable organisation, in partnership with mental health charity Chasing the Stigma.
Rather than being designed only for professional athletes, the programme is intended for people across the sporting community.
That includes players, coaches, volunteers, staff members, families and spectators. It can also be used by organisations ranging from local grassroots clubs to elite sporting institutions.
The organisers believe sport provides a valuable setting for mental health conversations because people often build strong relationships through teams, clubs and regular sporting activities.
A teammate or coach may therefore notice changes in someone's behaviour or mood before others do.
The new guidance is intended to give those people greater confidence about what they can do when they become concerned.
Harry Kane Supports the Campaign
Harry Kane is among the biggest sporting names supporting the initiative.
The England captain appears in a short film produced by the Royal Foundation to encourage people within sport to take concerns about mental health seriously.
The campaign emphasises the importance of asking someone directly when there is a genuine concern about their wellbeing.
The message is that people do not need to be mental-health specialists to show concern, listen carefully and help someone connect with appropriate support.
Prince William also contributes to the film, reinforcing the campaign's focus on having difficult but important conversations.
The involvement of a high-profile footballer such as Kane is significant because football reaches millions of people and has communities at almost every level, from children's teams and amateur clubs to professional organisations.
The campaign therefore hopes to use the visibility and influence of sport to encourage a culture in which asking for help is not viewed as a weakness.
Alan Shearer's Personal Connection
Former England striker Alan Shearer is also supporting the initiative.
For Shearer, the subject has a particularly personal meaning because of the death of his friend and former Wales manager Gary Speed, who died by suicide in 2011.
Shearer has spoken about the importance of people becoming better at recognising when someone may be struggling and having the confidence to reach out.
His involvement also highlights why the campaign is being connected to football and other sports. Sporting relationships can extend well beyond the playing field, creating friendships and support networks that can be important during difficult periods.
The campaign's message is not that sports clubs can solve every mental-health problem themselves. Instead, it seeks to help people recognise concerns earlier and understand how to respond appropriately.
Kelly Holmes and Other Sports Figures Back the Initiative
Dame Kelly Holmes is among the Olympic champions supporting the launch.
Other prominent sporting figures involved include cyclists Sir Jason Kenny and Dame Laura Kenny, as well as former England footballer Jill Scott.
Their involvement gives the campaign representation beyond football and reflects the intention to make the toolkit useful across different sports.
The Royal Foundation has said that the initiative is designed to work at different levels of sport, meaning the focus is not restricted to high-performance athletes.
This could make the programme particularly relevant to grassroots clubs, where coaches and volunteers may have close relationships with young people and other members of their communities.
Major Sports Organisations Expected to Participate
The initiative is also expected to receive support from major sporting organisations.
The Football Association, Premier League and British Cycling are expected to make commitments to incorporate the toolkit into their policies and practices.
That could give the programme a wider reach and help make suicide-prevention guidance more consistent across sporting organisations.
The organisers hope that clubs will use the material as part of their everyday approach to wellbeing rather than treating the campaign as a one-day awareness exercise.
That distinction is important because mental-health difficulties do not follow sporting calendars.
A player, coach or volunteer can experience personal difficulties at any point, whether a team is winning, losing, preparing for a major competition or simply training during an ordinary week.
Building on Earlier Suicide Prevention Work
The “On Your Side” initiative is part of a broader programme of work by the Royal Foundation on suicide prevention.
In 2025, the foundation helped establish the National Suicide Prevention Network, backed by more than £1 million in funding.
The network brought together organisations working in suicide prevention and support across the United Kingdom.
The new sports initiative builds on that work by focusing on a specific environment where people regularly form close social connections.
The Royal Foundation has said the response from sporting organisations to its previous suicide-prevention work demonstrated a strong desire within the sector to become more involved.
Why the Campaign Matters
Mental health can sometimes be difficult to discuss, particularly in environments where people may feel pressure to appear strong or focused.
Sport can intensify that pressure because athletes and teams are often judged by performance, results and competition.
The “On Your Side” initiative seeks to encourage a different culture—one where people can recognise that supporting someone's wellbeing is part of being a good teammate, coach, colleague or member of a sporting community.
The campaign also stresses that people do not have to have all the answers before offering support.
In many situations, listening without judgement and helping someone reach appropriate professional or specialist support can be an important first step.
A Long-Term Role for Sport
Prince William's latest initiative reflects his longstanding interest in using sport as a way of encouraging conversations about mental health.
The Royal Foundation has previously worked with football organisations on mental-health campaigns, recognising the ability of sport to reach audiences that may not always engage with traditional health campaigns.
“On Your Side” takes that approach further by giving sporting communities practical guidance for recognising warning signs and responding when concerns arise.
The long-term ambition is for suicide prevention to become part of normal sporting practice rather than something discussed only during awareness campaigns.
With support from leading athletes, football organisations and other sporting bodies, the initiative could give clubs across the UK a clearer framework for responding when someone needs help.
The launch also sends a wider message beyond sport: asking someone how they are doing can be an important act of support.
For Prince William and the athletes backing the campaign, the hope is that stronger conversations, better awareness and clearer routes to support can help people feel less alone when they are going through difficult periods.
The initiative begins with sport, but its message is much broader—communities can play a role in looking out for one another and making it easier for people to seek help when they need it.