A new countywide campaign that aims to prevent suicide in Suffolk is taking a new approach to this devastating issue.
Suffolk Life Savers, which launches today, is a response to the estimated 60 people who take their own lives in the county every year, calling on people to play their part by pledging to support the campaign.
Suicide remains one of the most prevalent causes of death for men aged 15-49 years and the majority of deaths by suicide in Suffolk are by men aged 40 to 60 years. Another important fact is that almost three quarters (72%) of people who die by suicide were not in contact with mental health services in the 12 months before their death.
By signing up to become a ‘Suffolk Life Saver’, anyone can join the campaign by making a simple pledge. In return, each organisation or individual will receive dedicated campaign materials and ongoing support to spread the message with friends, family and work colleagues.
In the first phase of what will be an ongoing campaign for Suffolk Live Savers, materials will target men in the most at risk age group (40-60). Posters and pull-out information cards will be available throughout the county in sports clubs, pubs and restaurants and other locations.
The campaign includes a partnership with the Men’s Health Forum to provide confidential support through the online ‘Beat Stress’ service. This discreet service provides the facility to contact a health professional anonymously, with a guaranteed response within 48 hours and the option for an instant live ‘chat’ on Wednesday evenings.
Halesworth resident Blair Williams, who is 61, has struggled with his mental health for a number of years. Thanks to support from wife Tracie and, more recently, the Halesworth Men’s Sheds project, Blair is experiencing a more positive outlook on life. He said:
“I experienced a particularly difficult time 12 years’ ago where I couldn’t see any way forward. Things came to a head one day at work where I just froze; I couldn’t continue and didn’t know what to do. Although this was a dark time, I have had help in recent years and could not have got through it without the support of my wife, Tracie, and friends. The Men’s Sheds project in Halesworth has helped me to keep busy and make new friends. Talking is the most important thing, but all of us find our own ways to do this.”
The new campaign complements the Suffolk Lives Matter publication, launched in October 2016, which sets out a suicide prevention strategy for Suffolk. The strategy has received royal endorsement from HRH The Duke of Cambridge and is the local response to the government’s priority to improve people’s mental health and wellbeing and reduce suicide.
Suffolk Lives Matter is a multi-agency aspiration to reduce suicide in Suffolk, with partners including Suffolk County Council, clinical commissioning groups, police, Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust, Healthwatch Suffolk, Suffolk Mind and others.
To sign up to become a Suffolk Life Saver, visit www.healthysuffolk.org.uk/suffolklivesmatter and submit your pledge.
An information pack will be issued to everyone who makes a pledge.
