BREAKING NEWS: Prince William makes major announcement as he teams up with Harry Kane and other legends

BREAKING NEWS: Prince William makes major announcement as he teams up with Harry Kane and other legends

The Prince of Wales is hoping to use the power of sport to help prevent suicide.

Prince William will today launch a suicide prevention toolkit for sports (Image: Getty)

The Prince of Wales will today unveil a suicide prevention toolkit for people in sport alongside leading athletes such as Dame Kelly Holmes, Jill Scott and Sir Jason and Dame Laura Kenny. To mark World Suicide Prevention Day, William will host a major event at Everton’s football stadium this afternoon aimed at encouraging people to have the confidence to start a conversation about suicide.

At the event, the heir to the throne will launch ‘On Your Side’, a first-of-its-kind toolkit to help organisations and individuals across sport build the knowledge, confidence and practical approaches needed to contribute meaningfully to suicide prevention.

Addressing the hundreds of people attending the launch event in Liverpool, William is expected to say: “My hope is that every sporting organisation in the country will look at what is being launched today and ask a question: What more can we do?

“Because the opportunity before us is enormous. Sport has the ability to reach people who may never walk through the door of a mental healthcare service. People who may never seek support themselves and may be struggling in silence. The sporting community can help change that.”

Suicide remains one of the most serious public health issues, with over 7,000 deaths a year across the UK. It is also the biggest cause od death of men under 50.

Co-produced in partnership with the UK’s national standards body, the British Standards Institution (BSI) and mental health charity Chasing the Stigma, the toolkit has been designed to give people engaged in sport the confidence to spot warning signs, start conversations and connect individuals with support before a crisis occurs.

At the centre of the resource is a simple five-step framework, GOALS, for individuals to start a conversation. This stands for: G – Get ready; O – Open the conversation; A – Ask the question; L – Listen and respond and S – Support and signpost.

To mark the launch, The Royal Foundation has produced a short film featuring England football captain Harry Kane aimed at encouraging people to have the confidence to start a conversation about suicide.

The Football Association, the Premiuer League, British Cycling and Team GB have all committed to priorise suicide prevention across their organisation.

Sport reaches millions of people across the UK. Research commissioned by The Royal Foundation shows 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 show 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.

Developed with input from experts and partners from across the suicide prevention and sports sectors, the ‘On Your Side’ toolkit is the most comprehensive suicide prevention resource created specifically for the sports sector.

It is designed for use across all sporting environments, from local clubs to sports academies and elite organisations, regardless of size, structure or level. It is relevant to everyone involved in sport, including players, coaches, staff, volunteers, families and spectators.

And while the landmark initiative is targeted at sports clubs – from grassroots local clubs right up to elite level, the aim is for the advice and support offered to filter through to other aspects of peoples life.

Jake Mills, founder and CEO of Chasing the Stigma, explained: “If we’re going to make a difference as suicide prevention, given the stigma, given the uncomfortableness, given how often people feel like they can’t have that conversation, we need to reach people where they are, and we know the power of sport for a sense of community, for a sense of belonging, for a sense of camaraderie and teams. So being able to reach people where they feel comfortable with this tool kit, will dramatically have a big impact.”