The Princess of Wales made a surprise appearance alongside her husband the Prince of Wales at Everton Football Club in Liverpool, where he unveiled a new initiative aimed at using sport to prevent suicides and reduce stigma around mental health challenges.
Prince William and Catherine attended the launch of the On Your Side project, which encourages people to have open conversations about mental health struggles with friends, family, teammates and colleagues. The initiative is backed by prominent sports figures including England football captain Harry Kane, former England striker Alan Shearer and Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes.
Royal sources indicated that Catherine's attendance was deliberate, chosen to underscore the importance of creating environments where people feel comfortable discussing their emotional wellbeing and know they will be heard.
Why sport matters for mental health conversations
Prince William emphasised sport's unique power to reach people who might never access traditional mental healthcare services.
"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,"he said at the Hill Dickinson stadium.
The initiative recognises that suicide remains a critical public health challenge in the UK, with approximately 7,000 lives lost to suicide annually. Men face disproportionately higher suicide rates, making it the leading cause of death for males under 50 in the country.
Prince William has long championed mental health awareness through sport. His earlier Heads Up campaign, launched at Wembley in 2019, similarly used football to encourage men to discuss mental health openly. More recently, William visited a mental health hub at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, demonstrating how sports venues can serve as access points for mental health support.
How does the On Your Side project work?
The project provides a practical toolkit available on a free website, designed to help people navigate difficult conversations about mental wellbeing. It uses a sports-themed framework called GOALS, which stands for: G (get ready), O (open the conversation), A (ask the question), L (listen and respond), and S (support and signpost).
A film accompanying the campaign features England captain Harry Kane and boxer Carl Frampton discussing the importance of intervening when someone appears to be struggling. Prince William provides narration for the video, which aims to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide.
Alan Shearer, the former England footballer and television pundit who was a close friend of Gary Speed—a footballer who died by suicide in 2011—is lending his support to the campaign.
"You don't have to be an expert. You don't have to have all the answers. But we can all be better at asking, listening, and helping someone find the right support,"Shearer said.
The royal couple visited a bench at Everton's ground dedicated to Speed's memory, which was unveiled last year as a space for people to speak openly about their anxieties and mental health concerns.
Who is supporting the initiative?
The On Your Side project has been developed in partnership with the British Standards Institution and mental health charities, including Chasing the Stigma. The charity's app, Hub of Hope, provides access to what it describes as the UK's largest mental health directory of support services.
Jake Mills, founder of Chasing the Stigma, drew on his own mental health experiences to advocate for sport as an effective vehicle for this messaging.
"Sport is a real force for good in bringing people together and for looking out for one another,"he said.
The Football Association, Premier League and Team GB are all providing institutional support. Mark Bullingham, chief executive of the Football Association, expressed his vision for the sector:
"Creating a culture where conversations about well-being are really encouraged. Where people feel comfortable asking for help and also know where to get it."
Commentator Gabby Logan and former England footballer Jill Scott are also backing the project.
What is the Royal Foundation's broader commitment?
Prince William's Royal Foundation launched the National Suicide Prevention Network last year, which is now chaired by Professor Ann John, a public health and suicide-prevention expert. The Foundation is investing £1 million into the network over three years. The network aims to bring together 20 organisations across the UK to understand the causes of suicide and improve support systems.
Prince William expressed his ambition for the sports sector to expand its role in mental health support.
"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,"he said.
What are sports organisations already doing?
The Premier League has announced that all 20 clubs will offer in-stadium support to fans in the 2026/27 season through its separate "Together Against Suicide" initiative. Pilot figures from 2025 show the scheme has trained 3,200 staff, facilitated 2,229 support interactions and enabled 15 crisis interventions.
What happens next
The launch event coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September 2026, giving the campaign a symbolic anchor point for ongoing awareness efforts. The Premier League's expanded in-stadium support programme will continue to develop through the 2026/27 season, building on the momentum established by the On Your Side initiative.
This event marks Prince William's most significant public appearance in the UK since the return of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from the United States. Earlier in the week, William attended the funeral of Norway's King Harald in Oslo and accompanied his son Prince George to his first day as a boarder at Eton College.
Key Facts
- Approximately 7,000 people die by suicide annually in the UK, with men accounting for a disproportionately high share of deaths
- The On Your Side project uses the GOALS framework to guide people through conversations about mental health
- Prince William's Royal Foundation is investing £1 million over three years in the National Suicide Prevention Network, chaired by Professor Ann John
- The Premier League's in-stadium support programme trained 3,200 staff in 2025 and facilitated 2,229 support interactions
- The initiative builds on Prince William's earlier Heads Up campaign, which launched in 2019 to encourage men to discuss mental health through football
