Local mental health charity Hull and East Yorkshire Mind is marking World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September by launching a campaign with their partners East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership.
The campaign, which will launch in early September, will help to raise awareness of the factors that can lead to someone feeling suicidal, and also to raise awareness of the support available locally. It is hoped that the campaign will encourage people to check in on their friends and family members, and look after their own mental health and wellbeing too.
World Suicide Prevention Day, which takes place annually on 10 September, is all about organisations and individuals coming together to create a world where fewer people die by suicide.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 4,912 suicides were registered in 2020, which amounts to around 13 deaths by suicide every day in the UK. Unfortunately, Yorkshire and Humber have some of the highest rates of suicide in the country for men and women.
Emma Dallimore, Chief Executive at Hull and East Yorkshire Mind said:
“World Suicide Prevention Day is a great opportunity for us to come together and create a world where fewer people die by suicide. Unfortunately suicide is not rare, but it is preventable. There are things we can all do to help prevent suicide in our local communities.
“We are happy to be working alongside our partners to raise awareness and continue the conversation about suicide locally. Many people in our area are affected by suicide – they may have lost a loved one, considered it themselves, or know someone who struggles with thoughts of suicide.
“Our experienced team really do care about the people we support, and we are here to help individuals with whatever they are facing. Reaching out for help may seem difficult, but it really is what we are here for. We are here to help”
Jo Kent, Suicide Prevention Programme Lead at Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership said:
“Every death by suicide is both an individual tragedy and a loss to society. By working with our partners at Hull and East Yorkshire Mind, we can be there for people when they need us most. By working with organisations such as Mind, we can also work together to prevent further suicides from happening in our communities.”
The charity, based on Beverley Road in Hull, also wants to remind people about its Together Service. The service, which was launched in 2020, offers tailored support to individuals who have been bereaved or affected by suicide. Support is available to people of any age living in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire. There are no age limits, and support is offered by trained volunteers with their own experience of losing someone to suicide.
For more information on support available, visit www.heymind.org.uk or call 01482 240133 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For more information on their campaign, please visit www.heymind.org.uk/WSPD