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The Mary O’Gara Foundation
The Mary O’Gara Foundation was set up in memory of Mary O’Gara, who lost her life to suicide at 27 on 30 May 2020. We are a not-for-profit charity run by Mary’s family, friends, and dedicated volunteers. In the UK, suicide is the leading cause of death for those under 35. Each day, around five young people take their lives, and about 200 school children die from suicide each year. Research shows that with the right support, suicide can be prevented. We focus on preventing young suicide. By tackling the causes of suicide and promoting positive conversations about mental health in Lancashire and the northwest, we hope that fewer people will experience the devastating ripple effect of this tragedy.
Our work in suicide prevention
We achieve our goals by raising awareness and sharing information, mainly through:
Training – The Foundation offers fully funded suicide prevention training. This is for those who care for young people across Lancashire, including in schools, colleges, universities, clubs, and businesses. It equips them with the tools to spot and support a young person in crisis.
Awareness – We promote positive discussions about suicide. This empowers people and communities to recognise those in need and encourages anyone struggling to seek help, breaking the stigma around suicide.
We are driven by a simple and clear belief that suicide is preventable.
Our motivation for joining the NSPA?
We can only stand up to suicide by making it everyone’s concern. We need to build suicide safe communities where people feel supported. They should not fear discussing their struggles. It’s vital to have listeners who won’t judge and remind them they are not alone. This support can help before things get overwhelming and lead to a dark place with no hope.
Suicide is preventable, it is not inevitable. You don’t need a mental health diagnosis to have suicidal thoughts. It can affect anyone, anytime, for any reason. Together, we can save lives.
Our areas of expertise
Training – The Foundation offers fully funded suicide prevention training, provided by Papyrus. This training is for anyone responsible for young people in Lancashire, including schools, colleges, universities, clubs, and businesses. It equips them with the tools to identify and support young people in crisis.
Awareness – We promote open discussions about suicide. This empowers communities to recognise and respond to those in need. We encourage anyone struggling to seek help, breaking the stigma around suicide.
By offering the right support and early intervention, we can assist those feeling suicidal in finding the care they need. Our family has completed this training. While it may be too late for us, it’s not too late for other families to keep their loved ones safe.
Nothing can bring our beautiful baby girl back. However, by making suicide prevention everyone’s duty, through training and awareness, we can help save lives. Together, we can protect sons, daughters, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, colleagues, friends, and even strangers. TOGETHER WE CAN SAVE LIVES and build suicide-safe communities.