Help is available in Herefordshire if you or someone you know is struggling
As World Suicide Prevention Day approaches on 10 September, Herefordshire Council want to take this opportunity to highlight its commitment to supporting services and organisations that focus on suicide prevention, or helping people who have been affected by suicide.
Tragically, suicide is the main cause of death for young people under the age of 35 in the UK, but research shows that with appropriate early intervention and support suicide can be prevented.
If you’ve been affected by the death of someone who took their own life, help is available in Herefordshire.
A new suicide bereavement service is offering free and confidential support to anybody living in the county. Practical and emotional support is available just one call or email away. The service’s caseworker will also be able to help you with dealing with phone calls, letters, or even making funeral arrangements, which includes dealing with police, coroner and media involvement. The service is free, confidential, and available to residents in Herefordshire of any age.
The service is available Monday, Tuesday and Friday between 9am and 5pm. Simply call the local number on 01432 800867 or email: hre.bbs@victimsupport.org.uk
Out of hours support is available 24hrs, 365 days a year from the national Support line on 08 08 16 89 111.
Matt Pearce, Director of Public Health, Community Wellbeing, said:
“Everyone has mental health, whether good or bad. Mental illness has a wide array of causes and if left alone and without support, it can turn into something more serious. It is important that we continue to raise awareness of suicide prevention and the impact which suicide has on family, friends and communities. Mental Wellbeing has been identified as a key priority in Herefordshire as part of our new Health and Wellbeing Strategy. We are working with partners to develop a number of actions that will deliver our ambition of good mental wellbeing for everyone.”
Additional free support is available from the following services:
- Now We’re Talking – Acting Together to Prevent Suicide is a local suicide prevention campaign co-ordinated by public health that helps people understand more about suicide and ways to prevent it.
- Free Suicide Prevention Training is available to everyone online.
Other local prevention initiatives include funded training places, information about how and where to get help, along with the ‘Orange Button Scheme’ which enables people with suicide prevention training to make themselves visible by wearing an orange badge. Orange Button wearers are confident to speak to others who are struggling with their mental wellbeing or suicide, or anyone worried about someone who might be, and will signpost them to appropriate support.
The council has supported the recent introduction of a local Bereaved by Suicide service which operates across the county, delivering support to those who have been bereaved or affected by suicide. As well as supporting residents who have lost a loved one or someone they knew, the service is designed to support any resident impacted by or exposed to suicide, including emergency service workers.
You can find additional information and support on the Victim Support website.
Further emotional and practical support around suicide bereavement can be found online via the Support after Suicide website.
If you are struggling to cope, you can call Herefordshire and Worcestershire’s Urgent Mental Health Helpline on 0808 196 9127 or text HERE to 85258 for free, confidential, anonymous text support