The News (Portsmouth) · 13 October 2026 · By Lottie Keen
04Media & Partnerships
Real stories. Considered partnerships.
Interviews, podcasts, documentaries, event appearances, brand collaborations and content partnerships. Grounded, direct and useful, not clickbait recovery content.
Recognition ·
New Volunteer Award. .
I won the New Volunteer Award on 6 October 2026, seven months into the current chapter of Sidekick Initiative.
I did not expect to win. I was shocked and overwhelmed. My kids got to see it, and knowing they were proud and inspired meant a lot.
Sidekick has grown through real conversations, mentoring, community walks and challenges that get people talking about mental health and recovery.
I want to build something bigger for the north of Portsmouth. The award is part of that journey, and the work carries on.
Receiving the New Volunteer Award at the Kings Theatre, with The Hive Portsmouth, 6 October 2026.
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PressThe News, Portsmouth · 13 October 2026
Portsmouth dad wins volunteer award a year after returning home from prison
Rob won the New Volunteer Award at the Portsmouth Inspiring Volunteer Awards 2026, presented at the Kings Theatre on 6 October with his kids in the audience. He had not written a speech because he never expected to win. The feature tells the story of coming home, feeling out of place in a quiet life, and choosing to get up every day and reach out to people who need it. It covers the qualifications and teaching he did inside, restarting Sidekick Initiative from a single pop-up stand, the mountain challenges and more than 100 miles run for suicide awareness this September, and the plan for a 24-hour base in the north of Portsmouth.
"It's just been about getting up every day, reaching out to those that need it." Rob Prior
The News (Portsmouth) · 21 September 2026 · By Lottie Keen
Offshore worker finds unlikely way to cope with mental health through mountain climbing
Danny Tolhurst, an offshore worker from Copnor, reached out to Rob from the North Sea when he was at his lowest. Walking together led to the Three Peaks, Mount Fuji and Mont Blanc.
Portsmouth News
Sober to summit: Danny Brain, Snowdon and what I do with Sidekick Initiative
A Portsmouth News story on recovery, purpose and climbing Snowdon for the hospital that helped turn a life around, with Sidekick Initiative alongside the effort.
Portsmouth News · 18 Jun 2026
From prison cell to Three Peaks challenge: Portsmouth man turns his past into a force for good
Rob Prior speaks to Portsmouth News about his journey from prison to recovery, and how Sidekick Initiative is turning lived experience into community support.
QA Hospital Radio · 18 Jul 2026
From rock bottom to recovery: Rob Prior's story
A long-form interview with Steve Rawcliffe on mental health, recovery and the work of Sidekick Initiative.
QA Hospital Radio · 14 Jul 2026
Rob Prior, Sidekick Initiative and Nicole, with Steve Rawcliffe
A conversation on QA Hospital Radio covering lived experience, community work and Sidekick Initiative.
Appearances
On the record.
Selected appearances
Activity, not endorsement.
Only appearances that have actually taken place are listed. No implied partnership beyond what is on the record.
- BBC One: The One Show
- QA Hospital Radio
- Schwartz talks, Portsmouth City Council (11 June 2026)
- Founder of Sidekick Initiative
Interviews & podcasts
Long-form conversations about mental health, prison, fatherhood, recovery, endurance and rebuilding. Studio, remote or on location.
Media enquiry →Documentaries & campaigns
Documentary contributions, awareness campaigns and public-service work. Especially around suicide prevention and men's mental health.
Campaign enquiry →Brand & content collaborations
Considered brand work aligned with mental health, outdoors, education, endurance, community and public purpose. No greenwashing, no wellness clichés.
Partnership enquiry →Press kit
Full press kit coming soon.
Bio, headshots, challenge assets and boilerplate available on request until the downloadable kit is published.
Request press assets