Reach Out: Start to End Suicide (START)

Our work in suicide prevention

‘Reach Out: Start to End Suicide’ is dedicated to the prevention of suicide. Our campaign is based on the foundation and belief that suicide is preventable and everyone has a role to play in preventing suicide. We are aiming for a community that makes discussing feelings the norm and acceptable while being reassured that they matter. Through raising public awareness, educating communities, and equipping people with the confidence to have conversations to support those at risk of suicide, we know we can save lives being lost to suicide, and contribute to the Salford’s ‘Zero Suicides’ ambition.

Our ‘Reach Out: Start to End Suicide’ campaign will commemorate those we have lost through suicide, save lives in the future, build resilience within our community and end stigma. This campaign will change behaviours and attitudes to suicide prevention, amplify the voices of people with lived experience of suicide and promote individuals to reach out to those in need of support and/or at risk of suicide and for them to be able to reach out for support.

Our current priorities

Reach Out: Start to End Suicide aims to create meaningful change through a multi-faceted, community-focused suicide prevention programme. Each element of the programme is innovative and, together, represents an unprecedented effort to engage the Salford community in suicide prevention on a scale never seen before.

The Vigil of Remembrance, the first of its kind in Greater Manchester, will bring the community together to support those bereaved by suicide. It seeks to de-stigmatise grief, shift the focus from the act of suicide to remembering the individual, and serve as a platform for education on suicide prevention and hope.

The Turning Salford Yellow for Suicide Prevention campaign will mobilise the community to connect meaningfully, raise awareness, improve attitudes, and increase dialogue about suicide. This initiative will challenge stigma, build resilience, and save lives at an unprecedented scale in the region.

The Sea of Hands of Support will tour Salford throughout the year, encouraging individuals to pledge their commitment to reaching out and being available to those in need. Participants will personalise hand cut-outs, contributing to a large-scale installation symbolising community support. This initiative will include one-to-one conversations to encourage dialogue about suicide and foster attitudinal change.

Surviving Suicide: Voices of Survivors will bring together suicide and attempt survivors in a therapeutic setting, allowing healing and support. Participants will create artworks reflecting their experiences, with the guidance of bereavement and mental health professionals. These works will then tour Salford as educational and engagement tools, accessible to the entire community.

The Remembrance Gardens will offer a peaceful space for those grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide or experiencing any kind of loss. This therapeutic garden will provide solace and support while fostering a sense of community.

Finally, the Builders Lunch initiative will deliver targeted support to one of the most at-risk groups—men in the construction and contracting industries, where suicide rates are alarmingly high. This innovative approach will take resources directly into workplaces, addressing the largest killer of men aged 15-29 and 49 and under.

Our current challenges

We have identified a register of risks and mitigating factors for this project. One key challenge is the potential difficulty in attracting and recruiting the targeted number of participants. To address this, a strategic marketing and recruitment plan will be developed and implemented by the steering group. With the group’s combined expertise in the sector and the high levels of interest identified during consultation exercises, this risk is assessed as having a low likelihood and low severity.

Another significant challenge is securing future funding for the project. This will be tackled by the steering group through a strategic funding plan that explores various avenues, including trusts, foundations, and sponsorships. Given the positive initial discussions with current commissioners and the project’s alignment with NHS Commissioning Priorities, this risk is assessed as medium likelihood and medium severity. These measures aim to mitigate the risks and support the successful delivery of the project.