All Call Signs

All Call Signs is an award-winning peer support organisation for veterans and serving military personnel. Our chat app is manned by over 500 volunteer listeners with experience of life in uniform and our digital caseworkers have arranged support and care pathways for hundreds of users seeking help with mental ill health.

How does your organisation contribute to preventing suicide and supporting those affected by it?

First and foremost we encourage armed forces veterans, particularly men, to speak out when they are struggling with their mental ill health. We believe that one of the main issues that leads to suicide is an inability to share openly when struggling. We also run a suicide prevention system called Beacon Alert that uses the veteran network around the UK, as well as existing search and rescue assets, to respond when a veteran or service person goes missing and is believed to be at risk or self harm or suicide. This has been successfully used to prevent over 100 attempts to date.

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What are your current priorities?

Reducing stigma surrounding mental ill health, particularly in veterans and service personnel.
Educating the wider UK public on veteran specific issues that contribute to low mood and mental ill health.

Campaigning for UK government to record veteran suicide statistics so we can better understand the severity of the issue.

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What challenges are you currently facing?

Reaching people. There is still a lot of stigma, especially behind the wire. By sharing personal experiences we’re able to show that there is no ‘e-fit’ for mental ill health. As with every organisation, funding throughout covid-19 has presented challenges, but we have adapted well and are on track.

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