Every Life Matters

We are a Cumbrian Suicide Prevention and Postvention Charity, established in 2018 to address the area’s stubbornly high suicide rates, which on the West Coast of the County are 50% higher than the England average. We believe suicide is everyone’s business and our focus is particularly on enabling members of our local communities to feel able to talk openly about suicide, understand when someone is at risk, how they can support people experiencing suicidal thoughts and to develop understanding of what local and national support is available. We believe it is family, friends, colleagues, neighbours and our network of voluntary and community organisations who are vital in saving lives. We also work with other providers to develop the breadth of suicide bereavement support for individuals and communities across the County.

Our work in suicide prevention

Our Suicide Safer Community Model is a ground-up approach to shifting public attitudes about suicide and skilling-up our communities to recognise and support those at risk of suicide. Working at a District level our approach combines the following elements:

– Community Action – Place based community led action against suicide
– Raising Public Awareness – Ongoing anti-stigma and suicide awareness campaigning
– Training Programme – Delivering accredited suicide prevention training
– Focused Interventions – Focusing training and support on high risk communities
– Supporting Communities – Information and support for communities affected by suicide
– Local Strategy – Enriching Countywide Strategy with ground up, community focused goals.

We provide a range of suicide prevention and mental health training in Cumbria including:
– Living Works training including ASIST and SafeTALK
– Alertness and Awareness level training
– MHFA, Youth MHFA and Lite versions
– Parents and Young Peoples Mental Health Awareness Training
– Self-harm Alertness Training
– Suicide Bereavement Awareness

Our trainers have delivered suicide prevention training to over 6,500 people across the county. We also provide bespoke support to local public, third, community and private sector organisations to develop suicide safer policy and procedure. We work with other providers to develop the breadth of suicide bereavement support for individuals and communities across the region.

Our current priorities

Our priorities are establishing Suicide Safer Communities Across Cumbria’s five Districts, and developing Suicide Bereavement Services in partnership with other local providers.

Our current challenges

The area has stubbornly high suicide rates, which on the West Coast of the County are 50% higher than the England average.