The Drinks Trust interview R;pple - Mental Health Support

1. Thank you for joining us today. Could you begin by sharing why R;pple was founded, and what inspired its creation?

In 2020, my world was turned upside down when I was told by two Police Officers that my little brother, Josh, had taken his own life. Since then, I’ve been determined to stop tragedies like this happening within other families.

In the days after Josh died, we discovered he had been searching for ways to take his own life through harmful internet searches. This is why I created R;pple: to ensure more help and support is given to anyone searching for harmful content online and offer hope at their darkest moment.

2. What is R;pple’s core mission, and how does it guide the organisation’s work today?

Our mission is to give hope to those who are in crisis, reduce the number of individuals who self-harm or end their own life, and reduce stigma around mental health. Ultimately, I don’t want more families to go through the devastating tragedy of losing a loved one to suicide.

The R;pple tool can save lives across the globe and I’ve committed that it will be free forever to all families, charities and educational institutions. As society continues to grapple with worsening mental health, tools like R;pple offer a beacon of hope.

3. Can you explain to us how the R;pple tool functions?

Once installed on a computer or Wi-Fi network, R;pple detects harmful searches related to self-harm and suicide.

If a harmful search is identified, R;pple activates to provide a calm, hopeful message. We then signpost the individual in crisis to lifesaving support: 24/7 helplines and mental health resources. The instant interruption of harmful online searches is crucial. R;pple acts in that critical window when an individual is at their most vulnerable point, providing hope and access to the help they need.

4. Who is the R;pple tool intended for, and in what types of settings can it be implemented (e.g. individuals, schools, organisations)?

I created R;pple to support individuals n[EY3] o matter where they are. You can deploy the tool easily across organisations, on shared devices at home, or on shared Wi-Fi networks.

We typically see organisations implementing the tool within their employee networks to protect their colleagues. This includes organisations across all sectors, including organisations such as KPMG, PwC, Heathrow, Premier League football clubs, bar chains, and insurance services. 

I’m so proud that R;pple is trusted by over 650 leading educational establishments across the globe, ensuring that students and staff are protected in times of crisis.

6. R;pple is one of our Business Advisory Programme suppliers. Could you tell us more why you’d wanted to work with us and the drinks and hospitality industry?

Everyone understands that the hospitality industry exists to provide positive, joyful experiences to customers. But it’s also true that long working hours, zero-hour contracts, stress, and a work-hard-play-hard mentality can put mental health at risk for those who work in the sector.

In the past we’ve conducted extensive research into mental health and suicide risk within the hospitality industry and found eye-opening results[AH4] . For me, the insight that half of employees we surveyed are currently experiencing harmful mental health conditions or have done previously. What’s more, 55% of this group also experienced thoughts of suicide or self-harm at work. For me this was particularly shocking and reinforces that we need to do much more to support those individuals.

I’m fighting to prove that positive mental health can be the norm within hospitality – or any industry for that matter. That's why, alongside The Drinks Trust, we’re continuing to campaign for better mental health in the hospitality industry.

6. What are the specific challenges people from the hospitality industry might be facing, and what are your plans to help them overcome those?

Hospitality teams have told us that it is often high stress environments (45%), poor financial wellbeing (42%), abuse from customers (39%) or unsociable hours (37%) contribute to their mental ill-health.

To support the hardworking people in the hospitality sector, we developed the Hospitality Pledge. The aim of the pledge is to give clear guidance for those seeking to improve workplace wellbeing and we’ve seen a fantastic reaction to it since launch.

R;pple is supporting almost two million people globally and I believe that, by working with The Drinks Trust, we will bring that protection into even more hospitality settings, so that harmful searches always lead to hope and support.

7. What would you say to industry’s stakeholders to convince them to install R;pple in their workplaces?

I speak to organisations about deploying R;pple every day. To those in the hospitality sector I would say this: R;pple is crucial. Our tool is the missing piece in your employee wellbeing strategy.

By intervening when an individual is in crisis and searching for harmful content, you can interrupt those harmful thoughts and replace them with moments of hope. R;pple complements your existing efforts, intervenes at the moment of crisis, and can save lives.

I’d also add that integrating R;pple across any organisation is simple, easy, and works without collecting any data or compromising security.

8. Finally, what have been some of R;pple’s most significant milestones or achievements to date?

I am so incredibly proud of the work of R;pple - from our team of employees to our volunteers, partners and advisory board members.

Right now, R;pple is protecting 1.9 million individuals across 50 countries and 700 organisations. Most importantly for me and the team, we have intercepted over 100,000 harmful online searches and saved at least 32 lives from suicide. For me, this is what we are all about.

Just this year we have been recognised by royalty when we received the King’s Award for Enterprise - Innovation in 2025. This year we also partnered with The Zero Suicide Alliance for our 'How to talk about suicide guide', which brought together some of the amazing individuals I’ve met in my suicide prevention journey, including Ian Russell MBE, father of Molly Rose.

Finally, as an organisation, we are not standing still. R;pple recently expanded support to include coverage for searches within YouTube, age-specific signposting for our education partners, and expanded protection for vulnerable individuals facing a broad range of mental health challenges and life struggles linked to suicide risk.