Prince William launches campaign at Wembley to help men tackle mental health through football

Conversation: Prince William with the England squad last summer
Charlotte Graham-WPA-Pool/Getty Images
Robert Jobson15 May 2019

Prince William today spoke at the home of football to launch a new campaign which uses the sport to get more people — particularly men — talking about mental health.

Speaking at Wembley Stadium, he warned that the consequences of keeping quiet about the problem had now reached a “crisis point”.

The Duke of Cambridge, president of the Football Association, said: “We wouldn’t think twice to ask a mate how he was doing after he broke an arm or an ankle. We wouldn’t hesitate to talk about our routine at the gym, or even our need to make it a bit more regular. But when it comes to our mental health, we — and, by we, I mean men in particular — often have nothing to say at all.”

He added: “When we see a friend that looks down, too many of us don’t know how to ask if he’s okay. When we ourselves feel down, we are often ashamed to say we need help.

"And when we know we need help, we don’t know where to start.He spoke out ahead of a BBC documentary to be aired on Friday in which he features alongside England manager Gareth Southgate and football stars Peter Crouch, Thierry Henry, Danny Rose and Jermaine Jenas.

The new campaign, called “Heads Up”, urges people to open up to their friends.

William went on: “The consequences of this silence — confusion, stigma, and even shame — have reached a crisis point in the UK. At its worse, it has led to appalling rates of suicide in this country — the leading cause of death for men under 45.

“Every day, failing to tackle mental health means that we are not reaching our potential at work. When you struggle in silence, you cannot give it your all.

"Failing to tackle our mental health means we are often unwittingly passing on our silent suffering to our children, who need us to take our mental health seriously to play our full role.”

He added: “We are here today to take a big step in shattering this silence. We are going to use one of the most powerful, unifying forces in our society — football — to start the biggest ever conversation on mental health.

"Heads Up will show men we all have mental health just like we have physical health. Building on the amazing attitude that led England to the World Cup semi-finals, it will show us all mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness.”

Before the speech, he went into the changing rooms to meet grassroots players and fans.

Earlier this week he joined stars including Katy Perry in a radio broadcast to mark Mental Health Awareness Week.

Three years ago William and Kate and Prince Harry launched the Heads Together campaign for mental health. It will partner with the FA next season, with next year’s Cup Final dedicated to Heads Up.

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