SOS Silence of Suicide
SOS Silence of Suicide began as a social support group in 2015. It was founded by Michael Mansfield and his wife Yvette, following personal losses to suicide. They decided the elephant in the room needed to be discussed openly to help fight shame, stigma and silence surrounding mental health and suicide. Their SOS helpline number is open for those who have thoughts of suicide and need urgent support.
Our work in suicide prevention
Our freephone SOS helpline is open every Monday to Friday (8pm to midnight) and over the weekends (4pm to midnight). It’s there for anyone who is suffering, or for supporting someone who is experiencing poor mental health. This includes people feeling suicidal or experiencing loneliness and isolation.
Our work includes:
> Every year on 1st May we host a Remembrance Day event for those who have been bereaved by suicide.
> Mobile Wellbeing Hubs. These are specially adapted vehicles that take mental health support to people, rather than the other way around.
> Wellbeing Toolkits, including accredited training courses for businesses.
> Accredited suicide awareness and prevention training.
> Emotional support gatherings in communities for those impacted by poor mental health.
SOS advocates for compassion in society to encourage understanding, tolerance, and kindness. This also involves campaigning for social injustice, and addressing areas that contribute on an individual’s welfare and wellbeing.
Our motivation for joining the NSPA
SOS Silence of Suicide became a member of the National Suicide Prevention Alliance to strengthen its commitment to mental health advocacy and enhance collaboration with other organisations dedicated to preventing suicide.
Our motivation for joining the NSPA was to help share and learn from valuable insights, resources, and best practices. We also want to reduce the stigma, silence and shame surrounding suicide, and provide support for those affected by suicide.
Working together with other members allows us to contribute to a more unified and practical approach to suicide prevention across the nation.
Our areas of expertise
SOS Silence of Suicide is a member of several forums and consortiums that work with other organisations to campaign and bring about systems change in mental health, and specifically suicide awareness and prevention.
SOS specialises in several key areas, including community outreach, mental health awareness and education. This includes consultancy to businesses in the private sector and to the Government on the topic of suicide. Our expertise lies in creating safe spaces for open conversations about suicide; providing learning and development about mental health; as well as offering resources for individuals and families affected by suicide.
By sharing our knowledge and experiences, we can contribute to other members of the National Suicide Prevention Alliance in many ways. We can offer training sessions and workshops on a range of topics to do with mental health and suicide awareness and prevention. We can collaborate on research initiatives aimed at understanding and addressing the root causes of suicide.