Prince William launched a nationwide suicide-prevention toolkit for the sporting sector on World Suicide Prevention Day, urging clubs, teams and everyone involved in sport to make suicide prevention as routine as warm-ups and training.
- Prince William and The Royal Foundation launched On Your Side on World Suicide Prevention Day to embed suicide prevention across sport.
- The toolkit is built around a five-step GOALS framework (Get ready, Open, Ask, Listen, Support) and is intended for grassroots to elite settings.
- Major organisations including the FA and Premier League have pledged to implement the guidance; it will be available on Chasing the Stigma’s Hub of Hope.
- The resource is practical, non-clinical guidance and emphasises that asking about suicidal thoughts does not plant the idea and can reduce risk.
What was announced
The Royal Foundation unveiled On Your Side at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool on 10 September. The resource, developed by The Royal Foundation in partnership with the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the mental health charity Chasing the Stigma, is designed for use across sporting environments from grassroots clubs to elite organisations.
The toolkit will be hosted on Chasing the Stigma’s Hub of Hope directory and is backed by more than 70 organisations, including the Football Association, the Premier League, British Cycling and Team GB, which have committed to embedding the guidance within their organisations.
What the toolkit contains
On Your Side includes practical, evidence-informed guidance to help people recognise warning signs, start conversations and connect those at risk with support. Central to the toolkit is a five-step framework called GOALS:
- G – Get ready
- O – Open the conversation
- A – Ask the question
- L – Listen and respond
- S – Support and signpost
The guidance covers how to create safe, supportive environments, suggested language and conversation starters for people who appear to be struggling, and steps organisations can take to embed suicide prevention into day-to-day practice. The toolkit also addresses common concerns such as the misconception that asking directly about suicidal thoughts might introduce the idea to someone; the guidance states asking does not accelerate those thoughts and can reduce risk by opening a path to support.
Who is backing it
The launch featured a short film with sporting figures including England captain Harry Kane, F1 driver George Russell and Women’s Rugby World Cup winner Rochelle “Rocky” Clark, among others. High-profile supporters cited in coverage include Dame Kelly Holmes, Jill Scott, Gabby Logan and Dame Laura Kenny. Broad sport-sector signatories include the FA and the Premier League; the FA has said it will embed the toolkit across its organisation and community and grassroots networks.
“Through my work on mental health, I have met people whose lives have been changed forever by suicide. But I have also met people whose lives have been saved because someone stepped in to help,” Prince William writes in the toolkit’s foreword (as reported by multiple outlets).
Why this matters for football and other sports
Suicide remains a major public-health concern in the UK and is the leading cause of death for men under 50, according to reporting that cites official statistics. Sports settings—clubs, academies and teams—reach large numbers of people, including men and younger adults who may be less likely to seek help through healthcare services. The Royal Foundation’s research, cited at the launch, found sport can be a powerful platform for prevention but that stigma, gaps in skills and inconsistent resources limit impact—especially at grassroots level.
For football specifically, the FA’s commitment to roll out the toolkit across its network is significant: community clubs and grassroots volunteers often are the first to notice players who are withdrawn or struggling. Embedding straightforward steps and clear signposting into coach education, safeguarding practice and matchday routines could widen early intervention and referral pathways in the game.
What comes next
At launch, more than a dozen organisations committed to championing the toolkit and implementing its practices immediately. The Royal Foundation says the project took two years to develop and is intended as a long-term resource rather than a one-day campaign. The National Suicide Prevention Network, launched in autumn 2025 with funding from The Royal Foundation, is cited as the broader programme under which this toolkit sits.
Practical next steps for clubs and football bodies will include reviewing policies, training staff and volunteers in the GOALS framework, and making the toolkit’s resources available to players, families and supporters. The toolkit’s availability on the Hub of Hope is intended to make local support options easier to find and use.
Immediate implications and cautions
The toolkit is explicitly framed as practical guidance for non-experts—coaches, volunteers and teammates—not a clinical intervention. Outlets reporting the launch emphasise that it is not a substitute for professional care and that organisations should put clear procedures in place for crisis situations and follow-up support after an incident.
Coverage of the launch also highlighted the personal and local resonance of the setting: Everton’s stadium includes a “talking bench” unveiled in memory of former player Gary Speed, who died by suicide in 2011; Alan Shearer, a friend of Speed, filmed a message in support of the initiative (as reported).
How clubs and supporters can use the toolkit now
- Access On Your Side via the Hub of Hope and review the GOALS framework and conversation guidance.
- Share the toolkit with coaches, captains, club welfare officers and volunteers; integrate basic awareness into induction or coach education sessions.
- Set simple procedures for responding to a person in crisis, including signposting to local services and national helplines.
- Use matchdays and community outreach as opportunities to promote safe spaces for conversation and highlight support contacts.
Support contacts
Reports from the launch restated established UK helplines often used in public guidance: Samaritans (116 123) and charities like Mind, CALM and Papyrus were named as sources of support in coverage and in launch materials. Readers are advised to consult local services for the most appropriate immediate help.
G3.Football will follow how football bodies embed On Your Side into coach education, safeguarding and community programmes and report on uptake among clubs across the UK.