Debbie Beard and Amanda Thorpe lost their husbands - this is their story

Debbie Beard lost her husband just over a year ago. Matt Beard, the former Liverpool Women manager, died in hospital on 20 September 2025. He is believed to have taken his own life, though an inquest is yet to conclude.

Amanda Thorpe's husband Graham, the former England and Surrey cricketer, took his own life in 2024. He had "spiralled into depression" after losing his job as a batting coach in 2022.

The two women, who had never met before, came together at an event launched by the Prince of Wales and the Royal Foundation to urge sport at every level to make suicide prevention part of its culture through a new nationwide toolkit.