Prince William says mental health isn’t a ‘sad, difficult topic, it’s just a part of everyday life’ – ahead of new Heads Up initiative at Liverpool VS Manchester City Community Shield game
- Duke will kick off mental health campaign during Liverpool and Man City game
- Video message will be played to stress importance of new Heads Up Initiative
- Campaign aims to spark talk between football fans and support those in need
- Kensington Royal Instagram released video of William discussing his hopes
The Duke of Cambridge will encourage Liverpool and Manchester City football fans to sing their hearts out at the Football Association (FA) Community Shield as he kicks off an ambitious mental health campaign.
In a video message which will be played to spectators in the challenge match at Wembley Stadium on Sunday August 4, William, 37, who is president of the FA, will stress the importance of the new Heads Up initiative.
The campaign aims to raise awareness about mental health, spark conversations between football fans – particularly men – about the issue, and direct those in need towards support, with a 24/7 text support service established.
A post today uploaded to the Kensington Royal Instagram account alongside a video of Prince William discussing the campaign, reads: ‘We will use our national game to spread the message that mental health isn’t a sad, difficult topic. It is just part of everyday life.’
‘This Sunday’s FA Community Shield between Liverpool and Manchester City will kick-off the campaign – a season of activities aimed at driving the biggest ever conversation on mental health.’
Prince William, 37, will kick off an ambitious mental health campaign at the Liverpool Vs Manchester City Community Shield game on Sunday August 4. Pictured, in a new video messaged released by Kensington Royal
The Duke of Cambridge, who is president of the FA, will stress the importance of the new Heads Up initiative. Pictured, Prince William takes a penalty kick as he visits the Football for Peace Global initiative at Saltley Academy on December 7, 2015 in Birmingham
In a video post today uploaded to the Kensington Royal Instagram account, Prince William says: ‘We will use our national game to spread the message that mental health isn’t a sad, difficult topic. It is just part of everyday life’
When Heads Up was first announced in May, the duke called the silence around men’s mental health a ‘crisis’ and encouraged football fans to ask after their friends as they would if they had ‘broke an arm or an ankle’.
William said at the time: ‘Just like physical health we all have mental health. Every one of us will face setbacks in our lives. And every one of us will face challenges with our mental health as a result.
‘The consequences of this silence – confusion, stigma, and even shame – have reached a crisis point in the UK.
‘At its worst, it has led to appalling rates of suicide in this country – the leading cause of death for men under 45.’
The new campaign aims to raise awareness about mental health, spark conversations between football fans – particularly men – about the issue, and direct those in need towards support, with a 24/7 text support service established. Pictured, Prince William in a video message uploaded to Kensington Royal’s Instagram account
He said the campaign, a partnership between the FA and his mental health project Heads Together, would be a season-long initiative that would hopefully see players and fans sharing their solutions to staying mentally fit.
William’s video message will be played during the pre-match ceremony on Sunday when he will introduce the Heads Up campaign and encourage fans to sing their clubs’ iconic anthems.
Liverpool’s You’ll Never Walk Alone and Manchester City anthem Blue Moon are songs with themes of isolation and the importance of togetherness.
The singing will be led by two community choirs – iChoir from Liverpool and Bee Vocal from Manchester – both created to support mental wellbeing and to challenge the stigma surrounding mental health.
In the video message (pictured), Prince William explained that the Heads Up campaign will use ‘football’s biggest platforms to get the country talking’
After the Community Shield match, the traditional curtain-raiser to the English football season, the campaign will spread to all levels of the game from the grassroots to the elite, and feature at the biggest moments of the season including men’s and women’s England internationals, concluding at the FA Cup Final on May 23 2020.
The FA, which has chosen Heads Up as its nominated charity, will also work alongside other charity partners Mind, CALM, Sporting Chance and Heads Together to raise vital funds for mental health initiatives and support.
Former England and Arsenal player Tony Adams, who founded Sporting Chance after battling alcoholism, said: ‘Sporting Chance will be celebrating 20 years of supporting professional sport participants with their mental health in the year ahead.
‘I am delighted that we are able to be part of the Heads Up campaign, it is a wonderful initiative. Talking to someone and asking for help was the starting place in my own journey of recovery and today I look after my mental well-being like I look after my physical well-being.
‘If we can help encourage people to talk about their mental health, I am ready to start a conversation.’
Kensington Palace have today tweeted praising Tony Adams for joining the conversation.
The post reads: ‘Thank you for highlighting the importance of talking #MentalHealth, ahead of this weekend’s #HeadsUp launch.’
The Duke continued: ‘A season-long campaign where we will be encouraging fans to talk about their mental health’
Kensington Palace have today tweeted thanking former England and Arsenal player Tony Adams for joining the conversation
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