PAPYRUS News November 2016

NEWS

SUICIDE.

We need to talk about it. #TalkThroughTheTaboo papyrus-uk.org

Breaking the silence around young suicide – pages 4-5

Newsletter Edition Number 57 (November 2016)

Registered Charity Number: 1070896

In this Issue:

Dear members and friends of PAPYRUS

Highlights 04-05

Breaking the silence around young suicide

06-07

Walk With An Angel

10-11

Volunteering with PAPYRUS

12-13

My suicide story

14-15

PAPYRUS with Pride

18-19

Making connections

22-23

Supporter news and activities

For many young people, suicide can become an option when adapting to any change. PAPYRUS encourages young people, and those who support them, to understand choices - one of which is to stay suicide-safe.

September’s World Suicide Prevention Day gives voice to much of what is being done throughout the year. In 2016, I was delighted to see your support online for our recent #TalkThroughTheTaboo campaign (full details on pages 4-5).

The challenge is for all of us to continue raising awareness every day to break the silence and stigma that exists in the UK, and to prevent further young deaths.

Some young people who contact HOPELineUK are continually fighting with impulses to self-injure. Many struggle without the support of timely advice from local services. Your support enables us to provide a lifeline and to give suicidespecific advice. Some of the calls, texts or emails we receive result in interventions to protect life right now; others involve giving support and advice to reduce behaviours which put young people’s lives at risk of suicide.

This newsletter is also available on our website

Get in Touch Head Office:

West Midlands Regional Office:

Lineva House 28-32 Milner Street Warrington Cheshire WA5 1AD

Office 510B, The Big Peg 120 Vyse Street Birmingham B18 6NF Tel: 0121 437 0411

Tel: 01925 572 444 Fax: 01925 240 502 www.papyrus-uk.org

PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide is the national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide in the UK. Registered Charity Number 1070896.

A list of PAPYRUS Trustees is available on our website.

Patrons Rt Hon David Hanson MP Rt Hon David Heathcoat-Amory Rt Hon Norman Lamb MP

Honorary Advisor Professor David Gunnell – University of Bristol

I am a big fan of the seasons of the year, some more than others.

Autumn is a great reminder of the universality of change. As winter arrives, sometimes suddenly, we need to modify our living, our dress, our behaviours to cope with the new reality: sunny days give way to dark nights, cold replaces warmth, togetherness can swiftly become isolation. The desire to hibernate can be a strong one.

If you would prefer to receive this newsletter electronically please let us know by email: admin@papyrus-uk.org

HOPELineUK is a confidential support and advice service for young people under the age of 35 who may be having thoughts of suicide, or anyone concerned about a young person. For suicide prevention advice contact HOPELineUK:

Our work within the National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA) has seen the recent production of ‘Local Suicide Prevention Planning’, which aids local authorities to do all they can to prevent suicide in their communities. I am grateful to several of our members who contributed to this piece of work.

Our work is indebted to our supporters and funders. With your help, we are undoubtedly making a huge difference for many young people who would otherwise be isolated and at risk of suicide, as well as for those around them.

Thank you for your continuing support.

Call: 0800 068 41 41 Text: 07786 209 697 Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org Opening hours: 10am-10pm weekdays, 2pm-10pm weekends, and 2pm-5pm Bank Holidays.

Information contained in this newsletter is intended for guidance only and is not a substitute for professional advice.

No responsibility for loss occasioned as a result of any person acting or refraining from acting because of what is written in the newsletter can be accepted by the publisher, authors or PAPYRUS Trustees.

Ged Flynn Chief Executive

Design sponsored by TBWA\Manchester

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TALK THROUGH THE TABOO: BREAKING THE SILENCE AROUND YOUNG SUICIDE Our focus for this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day on Saturday 10 September was the launch of our #TalkThroughTheTaboo campaign.

Our aim? To raise awareness and urge everyone to join in a national conversation about young suicide – a subject where silence and stigma are killing young people.

In September we commissioned a YouGov survey which revealed that 78% of those surveyed did not know that suicide is the biggest killer of young people.

Not only is there ignorance of the numbers of lives lost, but there is also stigma and general misinformation attached to the word suicide. 56% of respondents in our survey selected at least one reason from a list of things which would prevent them from asking a distressed friend or family member if they were thinking about suicide. The main reason given was the fear of ‘putting the idea of suicide into someone’s head’ (24%). The majority also said that they would not share suicidal thoughts of their own.

The taboo around suicide means that lives are being needlessly lost.

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Our key aims were to dispel the stigma and silence around young suicide, to talk through the taboo, and demonstrate that suicidal feelings do not have to end in suicide. Normalising and encouraging open and sensitive talk about suicide is vital in preventing misinformation and saving young lives.

We were able to run an advertising campaign at London underground stations, which aimed to do just that.

The campaign went live from the 29th August for two weeks and ads were displayed at 18 stations across the capital, including Covent Garden, Oxford Circus, Bank, Charing Cross, Euston, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Paddington and Waterloo. It is estimated that our 150 printed panels alone reached 2.4m adults 5-6 times across the two weeks, with total impacts of over 13.3 million!

We must thank PAPYRUS supporter Chris Sibley for leveraging this highprofile opportunity to raise awareness of young suicide and the work we do.

Not only is there ignorance of the numbers of lives lost, but there is also stigma and general misinformation attached to the word suicide.

Online momentum played a major role. In conjunction with our London Underground ads, we promoted the #TalkThroughTheTaboo campaign on social media via a dedicated Thunderclap (a tool enabling people to pledge a tweet or Facebook post sharing our message at the same time for maximum impact).

Through this we gained a social reach of 1,832,361. Press and media played a vital role in extending our message. We were featured in national papers The Daily Telegraph and The Sun, as well as appearances on Sky News and LBC Radio.

Many supporters displayed our posters and flyers at their workplace or in their local communities, resulting in a massive increase in people accessing our website, following us online, and contacting HOPELineUK for help and support.

Our ads were produced by marketing and advertising agency TBWA

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WALK WITH AN ANGEL PAPYRUS Member Tony Harrison lost his daughter Vicky to suicide in 2010, and has been campaigning tirelessly to raise awareness ever since. He shares his experience of organising ‘Walk With An Angel’ in Vicky’s memory.

I’m often asked: ‘Why do you support PAPYRUS?’.

It’s an easy question to answer. My daughter Vicky took her own life in 2010. While I can’t do anything to bring Vicky back, I want to help others. However, there is a part of it that is purely selfish. I do it for ME. To keep me alive.

That’s the truth. All the people I have met who are in some way connected to PAPYRUS are just such wonderful and caring people. I wish I had met them under different circumstances.

Every year since 2012 I have helped to organise an event called ‘Walk With An Angel’, which aims to raise awareness, reduce stigma and raise funds in Vicky’s memory. We have a great bunch of regular walkers and, to date, have raised over £6,000 for PAPYRUS. I have a problem with asking friends and family for money directly. So I don’t! We raise funds by holding a raffle (with prizes donated from the local community), putting food on at the pub 06

Vicky and Tony

While I can’t do anything to bring Vicky back, I want to help others. However, there is a part of it that is purely selfish. I do it for ME. To keep me alive.

afterwards, as well as asking the pub to host a collection tin on the bar a couple of months before the event. Many of the walkers also have their own sponsor forms.

Organising an event is also a great way to get publicity – which isn’t as difficult as you might think! Here are the things I have learnt along the way:

Contact your local newspaper. In my area the local paper publishes six days a week, so it’s a great place to start. I offer to e-mail them a picture of Vicky, as well as inviting them to send a photographer.

If a photographer attends then it helps to ensure coverage following the event.

I always ask them to print the PAPYRUS HOPELineUK number and they’re always happy to do so.

Local radio is another important resource.

Target the breakfast show or the drive-time/ tea-time show; they generally have more listeners. I always include statistics around young suicide and offer to go into the studio.

Aim to build a relationship with your local radio stations – you just never know what might happen. As well as gaining radio coverage every year for my event I have also been asked to talk about other aspects around suicide.

Of course, not everyone feels comfortable publicising their event or talking to the media. The part I struggle with most is when they ask me to talk about Vicky. It’s emotional. It helps me to have a ‘prepared statement’ when they ask me to tell them what Vicky was like. You can also contact the PAPYRUS Press Office for help.

We try to keep things pretty informal.

We don’t ask for a fee to join, but ask that the walkers wear something yellow, Vicky’s favourite colour. Mainly we just want people to enjoy the day – if they do, many will return year after year! The walk is talked about more as a family reunion now than a charity event, and is becoming increasingly well-known. It can take time but keep doing it each year and it works.

My thoughts are with all of you reading this newsletter, many of whom like me wish you didn’t have a reason to be sent a copy.

Much love to you all.

Walk With An Angel, pictures taken by Aiden Wellock

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Frequently Asked Questions

PAPYRUS AGM 2016

These are examples of queries we receive at HOPELineUK; you may find them helpful.

We held our Annual General Meeting in Birmingham in July 2016.

Sangeeta Mahajan was appointed as a PAPYRUS Trustee and Annessa Rebair was re-appointed for a second period of three years. Ged Flynn presented the annual accounts and the annual report of activities.

See our website for details. Colleagues from different departments of the charity shared various aspects of our work to help save young lives.

Professor Christabel Owens

It’s Safe To Talk About Suicide We were delighted to welcome Professor Christabel Owens, Associate Professor of Public Mental Health and a long-standing friend of PAPYRUS, to our AGM. We have become familiar with Christabel’s research on ‘Recognising and Responding to Suicidal Crisis within the Family and Social Networks’ (BMJ 2011: 343: d5801), not least because of the contribution made

by PAPYRUS member Judith Belam as a lay consultant and other PAPYRUS members as respondents.

Those attending the AGM had a lively discussion, often affirming the findings of the research:

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Informants described both intellectual and emotional barriers to awareness and intervention within the family and social networks. They reported that signs and communications of distress were often oblique and difficult to interpret, that they may have disregarded warning signals and focused instead on positive signs, and that, even when they were aware that something was seriously wrong, taking any action at all involved considerable personal risk.

More recently, Christabel has developed a useful leaflet, It’s Safe To Talk About Suicide, supported by Exeter University and The Alliance of Suicide Prevention Charities and produced by Devon County Council.

To order copies of the leaflet or to download a pdf version, please visit: http://devon.cc/mentalhealth

Q: I’ve been having problems at school – the girls in my form have been spreading rumours about something that happened over summer. I hate going to school now; in every lesson someone’s staring, whispering or laughing. I feel I can’t face another day. When I told my teacher, she said it’d blow over but it hasn’t, it’s just getting worse.

Everyone hates me so it would be easier if I was dead. I went back to my teacher and said I was feeling suicidal, but she just said that I would be okay. How am I going to be okay when nobody is listening to me?

Q: I’ve been in a relationship with my boyfriend for a couple of years but don’t feel the same way about him anymore. I tried to end the relationship a few months ago but he told me I’m the only person he’s got and if I ended it he may as well kill himself. I felt really bad because I know he has lots of problems with his family so I tried to make it work, but it isn’t.

I texted him a couple of weeks ago to tell him I didn’t want to be with him anymore and he attempted suicide. I felt awful.

I feel guilty that I’m causing him to feel this way.

A: The bullying is having a huge effect on you and is leading you to feel that suicide is the only option. It took a lot of courage to open up to your teacher, but it seems she didn’t take your feelings seriously. You mention no one is listening to you, which suggests you want them to, and we’re wondering if this is because you’re not sure about suicide. Reaching out for help was a really positive step to make, and we would urge you to try again. Have you thought about speaking to your parents or family?

They might be able to help by speaking to your teacher directly. Suicidal thoughts are not uncommon and many people work through them and stay safe. Please remember you are not alone – call, text or email HOPELineUK for support.

A: Continuing in this relationship is having a big impact on you emotionally.

But you are NOT to blame for your boyfriend’s thoughts of suicide or suicide attempt. You have every right to end a relationship that you don’t want to continue. Whilst he is struggling to accept the end of the relationship, his emotional wellbeing is not your responsibility. We advise you to contact your local domestic abuse services to support you through the break-up, as well as informing his local GP about his suicide attempt. You can also remind him that A&E can provide support in times of crisis and give him HOPELineUK’s contact details – they can support him with his thoughts of suicide.

For confidential advice and support on how to help a young person at risk, or if you are a young person thinking about suicide, speak with our professional advisors at: HOPELineUK on 0800 068 4141, text 07786 209 697 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org 09

Why I volunteer for PAPYRUS Youth Champion Rosie shares her experience.

My name is Rosie, I’m 21 years old and I’m in my third year at university. I recently became a Youth Champion for PAPYRUS in Chester, where I attended ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training). ASIST is a two-day course which helped me to identify a person at risk of suicide and intervene to keep them safe.

One thing I found most profound during this training was that people are only going to feel able to talk about their own feelings of suicide if they know they aren’t going to be judged, interrogated, or met with panic. What better way is there, than to talk about suicide? We need to reduce the stigma and make it OK to talk about.

My earliest recollection of suicidal thoughts was when I was 11 years old. I also have experienced major depressive disorder, anorexia nervosa and anxiety. I have attempted to take my own life seven times and spent six months at an inpatient unit in recovery. It wasn’t pleasant but I wouldn’t be sharing this if it wasn’t for what I witnessed in both units.

I saw a lot of what thoughts and attempts of suicide can do; create pain, distress and a lot of grieving, not only for the patients but for their families too. There was anger, isolation, restraints, alarms – but I did see hope. I watched those who suffered from suicidal thoughts eventually be able to work through them and ultimately be discharged.

We did that mostly through talking about how we were feeling and receiving support from psychologists. It does get easier and no one should have to feel ashamed. I find it hard to open up about this, but I want to show people that it’s more than OK to not be OK.

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Overall, the impact of suicide is devastating.

It is currently the biggest killer of young people – gender indifferent – under 35. On average four young people die by suicide each day in the UK. The lucky ones go to a unit like I did, and I don’t know about you but that statistic makes me feel a rip inside.

I became a Youth Champion for PAPYRUS so that I could use my experience to help prevent young suicide.

“OVERALL, THE IMPACT OF SUICIDE IS DEVASTATING.”

People are only going to feel able to talk about their own feelings of suicide if they know they aren’t going to be judged, interrogated, or met with panic.... We need to reduce the stigma and make it OK to talk about

As a Youth Champion, I have written an article for the PAPYRUS website to offer my advice and guidance for students preparing to go to university, as this is a stressful period for many young people.

Also, on October 10th – World Mental Health Awareness Day – I held a stall in Chester helping to raise awareness in my local community about young suicide.

There was a confidential box on the table, which negative thoughts or worries were put into, and a pledge board of self-care.

Each person made a pledge that they would do something for themselves to help them to feel a little more hopeful within the next week, such as having a relaxing bath, meeting up with friends, or reading a book.

Turn your online shopping into donations for PAPYRUS this Christmas

“BEING A YOUTH CHAMPION WITH PAPYRUS HAS GIVEN ME HOPE THAT WE CAN TALK OPENLY ABOUT SUICIDE WITHOUT JUDGEMENT.” Being a Youth Champion with PAPYRUS has given me hope that we can talk openly about suicide without judgement.

Who’s to say it can be talked about only by psychologists or mental health professionals? The person experiencing thoughts of suicide might be friend, a partner, a family member, or a stranger – it could be you or me. Just think of what talking openly can do and how many lives we can save.

“WHO’S TO SAY IT CAN BE TALKED ABOUT ONLY BY PSYCHOLOGISTS OR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS?”

PAPYRUS Christmas cards now on sale! Cards are available in packs of 10 for £4 from our website shop or by calling our Head Office.

You can raise vital funds for our suicide prevention services every time you shop online through Easy Fundraising. PAPYRUS will receive a donation of up to 15% for the value of your purchase – at no cost to you! For more details, visit www.papyrus-uk.org/get-involved 11

On 3rd July 2015 I was travelling back from a holiday with a group friends and whilst on the plane, the suicidal thoughts began to overtake my mind for a third time in my life; they were much stronger than I had previously experienced in high school and I had felt as if I had lost full control of my mind and body. All I wanted was for the plane to crash but I’d be the only fatality – I didn’t want anyone else to be harmed, only me.

I walked home alone in the middle of the night with my suitcase and I felt as if I was a walking zombie – numb. That night I made the decision to take my own life despite the hesitation. I didn’t want to die; I just wanted the pain to go.

Levi Marla Thompson shares her personal experience of suicide to show that there is always help and hope.

I didn’t want to die; I just wanted the pain to If you were to ask me a year ago how I was, I would have simply responded with a smile and an excuse. I’d explain that I was ‘fine’ and was just tired from the anaemia I was suffering from.

I was a better liar than even I knew, so good that I began to believe my own fabrications of my life, my own mask – the mask that I would always keep close to hand. I believed no one would want to know nor understand the true emotions I kept buried inside, the emotions that drove me to take my own life. Would you like me to describe to you being dead, but still being able to walk? To breathe, but still be suffocating? Would you try to comprehend the mayhem inside my head, or would you judge the young girl that stood before you, the girl

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go.

that appeared to be so strong and happy? I believed that I would be judged and told to ‘get over it’, so never took my mask off.

To the world I was a typical young 21-yearold; going to university, travelling, partying with friends, I always had a smile on my face.

Not one person saw behind my veneer and there was a small part of me that wished someone had. I continually gave off small signals to those who I believed cared about my wellbeing; I’d turn my ‘phone off for a month or cancel plans without any reason, in the hope that at least one person would notice I was acting out of what they would perceive as ‘ordinary’ behaviour, but no one ever did. The attentiveness I needed just wasn’t there, pushing me to seclude myself and my emotions from the rest of the world – something I never wanted to do, as all I had ever wanted was to surround myself with people who would listen.

“I BELIEVED NO ONE WOULD WANT TO KNOW NOR UNDERSTAND THE TRUE EMOTIONS I KEPT BURIED INSIDE, THE EMOTIONS THAT DROVE ME TO TAKE MY OWN LIFE.”

Since opening up about my thoughts and feelings I have realised that I am not alone, and nor have I ever been. There are so many of my peers who I now know have experienced similar emotions to those I had gone through. My experience has granted me the opportunity to help others, and to show that there is always hope.

“SINCE OPENING UP ABOUT MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS I HAVE REALISED THAT I AM NOT ALONE, NOR HAVE I EVER BEEN.” I would like to reintroduce myself: My name is Levi Marla Thompson, I attempted suicide in 2015, but it does not define me. Do not let suicide define you.

Whilst at the hospital, reality hit that I had survived my suicide attempt and I felt nothing but anger: still I was able to breathe air into my lungs. I felt that I would forever be alone.

Me, myself and I, once again. But I was wrong. There were people who wanted to help and I found my voice. I used my writing as an outlet to tell my own story to the world, to help those who might be in a similar situation to my own to understand that there are people out there who are willing to help.

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PAPYRUS with Pride In May, young volunteers from Birmingham walked for the second year running in the Birmingham Pride Parade, to show the LBGTQ community that PAPYRUS stands with PRIDE. It was the initiative of PAPYRUS volunteer Stacey, as part of the Young People’s Champion’s project. Here Stacey shares her experience of taking part in Pride.

When we began the project I knew right away that I wanted to try and get us into the Birmingham Pride Parade to raise awareness of young suicide within the gay community.

I lost my friend Rory to suicide in March 2014.

When I heard he had suicided it had been over a year since I had seen him and it was a shock; not least because he was one of those people that was always smiling. Rory was gay and I was told, after his death, that he had struggled with this despite having a very accepting and loving family, and he had fought depression for much of his adult life.

We wore PAPYRUS t-shirts and donned rainbow garlands, rainbow nail varnish and makeup! As we set off from Victoria Square a presenter from Gaydio joined our group to ask us about PAPYRUS and why we were there.

We talked about what PAPYRUS meant to us personally and also shared our wider message for the gay community. The interview was recorded and aired on Gaydio later that day to thousands of listeners across the West Midlands.

Once again, it was an emotional and fantastic day. Over 75,000 people lined the streets of Birmingham to watch and the atmosphere was truly electric. There were moments when areas of the crowd realised what we were all about and began clapping or cheering. There were some visibly emotional responses from some; others wanted to take pictures with us or thanked us personally for being there and sharing our messages!

My fiancée (now wife) and I were married the week after Pride in 2014 and back then it really was the best pre-wedding present for both of us to be there to walk with PAPYRUS. This year was even better, to be able to walk in the Pride Parade as a married couple, to celebrate life and share a message of hope to thousands.

As a young gay woman, I know about the struggles of coming out and dealing with those emotions and I wanted to do something to show the community that it’s OK not to be OK all of the time, and that suicidal thoughts do not have to end in suicide.

This year was the 20th anniversary of Birmingham Pride, with the theme ‘A Generation of Pride’. During our planning meetings we devised the slogan ‘A Generation of Pride, A Generation of Loss’, aimed at highlighting, and paying tribute to, those lost to suicide within the gay community over the last 20 years. We wanted to let people know that suicide happens in our community too and that the more we talk about it, the more lives we can, and will, save.

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BANBURY YOUTH AIR THEIR SUPPORT

We chose PAPYRUS because it related to us personally after we lost a young person in our community to suicide. This drove us to want to raise awareness. For us, suicide is a permanent way to end a problem that may seem insurmountable, but which can often be resolved with help and support. We want to help to prevent others having to experience a similar loss.

Along with our friend Rufus Barker, we managed to get on BBC Radio Oxford’s mid-morning show with Kat Orman. This was broadcast throughout Oxfordshire, allowing us to share why the charity was important to us and others, as well as raising awareness that PAPYRUS is a place where you can talk about how you feel.

While we were on air, the rest of the NCS Banbury group held a cake sale and collection outside Castle Quay in Banbury town centre.

In addition to this we also held a charity football match, bag-packing, car wash and car boot sale in Bodicote, and a 50 mile cycle!

The 50 miles represents the number of people aged between 10 and 24 years old who take their life on average every month. We raised an amazing £900+!

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Ben Morbey and Harry Prickett from Banbury’s National Citizen Service (NCS) share why they are supporting PAPYRUS. Purple nails on social media At the start of our two week social action project, one of our group members had the idea to launch a social media campaign to help raise awareness of PAPYRUS. #NailedIt involved painting our nails purple, the official colour of PAPYRUS, to raise awareness and encourage others to join in! As with our fundraising we wanted to make people aware that these lifesaving services are available to young people. We aim to continue this project even when our NCS group is disbanded.

We wish them well [Ed].

ARD WEST MIDLANDS GRANT AW PAPYRUS received a grant award from the Clothworkers Foundation Livery Fund to support a West Midlands Suicide Safer Communities Project.

The grant will fund a part-time Suicide Prevention Trainer and Coordinator who will manage the project and deliver suicide prevention work across Birmingham and the West Midlands.

The project will help to sustain and develop our suicide prevention work in the area by: • Increasing the delivery of free and accessible suicide prevention training; ranging from 90 minute awareness raising sessions to the two-day ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training). Priority audiences will include schools, colleges, universities, GP surgeries, NHS Trusts, and parents. We will also train volunteers to deliver basic suicide prevention awarenessraising sessions.

• Supporting our existing Youth Champions Forum, a group of young volunteers who work across the city of Birmingham raising awareness of PAPYRUS, our HOPELineUK helpline service, and the importance of self-care.

• Supporting PAPYRUS HOPELineUK by raising the profile of our helpline services across the West Midlands through a dedicated marketing campaign.

• Relocating the PAPYRUS West Midlands office base to a larger, more accessible space. This will allow us to work face to face with young people and members of the community.

• Delivering a Suicide Safer Communities for Young People project, which will engage 20 young volunteers, training them in suicide prevention first aid, and supporting them to deliver suicide prevention activities in their own communities.

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MAKING CONNECTIONS

“TV AND SOCIAL MEDIA CAN GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT OTHERS ARE MORE CONNECTED AND HAVE A BETTER LIFE...

WHEN BURDENSOMENESS IS IS MIXED WITH THAT PERCEIVED LACK OF CONNECTEDNESS, A YOUNG PERSON CAN FEEL THAT SUICIDE IS THE ONLY OPTION TO END THEIR PAIN.”

Ged Flynn comments on Joiner’s theory of connectedness

According to Joiner, neither of these experiences is enough to move a person to act on the desire for death, but together with an acquired capacity (or fearlessness) suicide risk is significantly heightened.

Self-preservation is one of the strongest human impulses. Joiner argues that painful and provocative experiences can disinhibit a person from the fear of pain and death and so suicide is no longer out of the question.

Risk increases when the desire for suicide is met with the readiness to end life. Reducing access to means is critical here.

Thomas Joiner

“IN SUPPORTING YOUNG Feeling connected is a principal protective factor for young people.1 When this is compromised, a young person may struggle significantly. Whatever causes us to lose our sense of belonging can make life more difficult. In supporting young people, a first step is to hear their story without offering solutions or counter-claims.

They may feel that they are a burden. Our impulse may be to counter this; but what might it be like for that young person for you to be with them, just as they are? And if they are suicidal, to stay with them in that uncertain space can be very healing and create a safe, creative place for problem solving. In that space, it is often the young person who can start to see that he or she is more than their current experience, that there may be alternatives, that there may be a part of the young person that still wishes to live.

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In his book Why People Die by Suicide, Thomas Joiner suggests that the desire to be out of pain and to be no longer here comprises two psychological experiences: a perceived sense of being a burden to others (perceived burdensomeness) and a perceived separation to social support outside the self (thwarted belongingness).

In our work with young adults, we know that such perceptions are not uncommon.

TV and social media can give the impression that others are more connected and have a better life. Burdensomeness expresses itself in different ways: “You’d be better off without me”; “I don’t add anything to the group.” When burdensomeness is mixed with that perceived lack of connectedness, a young person can feel that suicide is the only option to end their pain.

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PEOPLE, A FIRST STEP IS TO HEAR THEIR STORY WITHOUT OFFERING SOLUTIONS OR COUNTER-CLAIMS .”

PAPYRUS equips people to be effective caregivers, to stand alongside young people in their uncertainty and their pain.

We also want them to know how to support a young person whose fearlessness may be leading them to think about ending it all. Suicide can and does happen in families and communities of every sort.

There is not one type of person who suicides.

Joiner’s theory helps us see the benefit of research based on experience: we need to be connecting with young people and picking up on subtle invitations about feeling burdened, feeling alone, not being part of things. Being able to stand alongside that pain, may help to save a young life.

1. Catalano, R. F., et al (2003). Raising healthy children through enhancing social development in elementary school. Journal Of School Psychology, 41(2), 143-164 in Weare, K. (2011).

2. Joiner, T. (2005) Why People Die By Suicide. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press.

Interested in training?

PAPYRUS is pleased to re-launch `Identifying and Talking about Suicide’, our newly accredited training package developed for professionals working with young people. Identifying and Talking about Suicide is a half day course that effectively prepares participants to better support people with thoughts of suicide, by learning how to identify them as a person at risk of suicide, respond appropriately and connect them with additional support. For more information and costs contact training@papyrus-uk.org 19

As a result, 270 people from the communities of West Cheshire, Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich and Winsford have engaged with either a suicide awareness and prevention session or attended ASIST. This is in addition to the members of these local communities who have been reached through our Youth Champions’ suicide prevention activities.

Together, we are working to build a suicide -aware and suicide-safer community in Cheshire.

“It made me think about some of the habits I have that aren’t healthy and maybe why I’m doing that. I feel confident about where I can go for help and tell other people where they can go too”.

Project Participant

Delivering initiatives across Cheshire Since May this year our regional development team has been busy helping to prevent young suicide across the communities of Chester and West Cheshire, thanks to funding received from West Cheshire and Vale Royal Clinical Commissioning Groups.

The Clinical Commissioning Groups, through their ‘Make Way – Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Transformation Plan 2015-2020’, highlighted young suicide as a key issue to be addressed locally. The plan noted that Chester and Ellesmere Port had the highest suicide rates amongst young people who identified as LGBT, those at risk of offending, or having experienced being in care.

PAPYRUS delivered suicide awareness sessions for young people under 25 years, trained members of the local community in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), and supported local people to volunteer as Youth Champions and deliver suicide prevention activities across the West Cheshire and Chester areas.

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Suicide-Safer Colleges: A new pilot project Chester Pride’s ‘Talk With Pride’ Conference

To date, this project has delivered 16 suicide awareness and prevention sessions, engaging young people in a range of settings, including Chester University, Amplify Youth Group Northwich, Live! New Scene Youth Centre, West Cheshire College, the National Citizenship Service, Children in Care Council, Youth Offending Service and Chester Pride’s Talk with Pride LGBT Conference.

Nine Youth Champions attended ASIST and have raised awareness in their local communities, helping others to #TalkThroughTheTaboo of young suicide by delivering over 30 suicide prevention activities, including: • Blogging about young suicide and the importance of breaking the stigma • Contributing articles to the PAPYRUS website and newsletters • Supporting and promoting PAPYRUS and suicide prevention on social media • Running information stalls at Chester University and Chester City Centre • Raising awareness of HOPELineUK and PAPYRUS with different services in Chester • Distributing literature at local meeting places including the Students’ Union, colleges and pubs.

PAPYRUS has completed ‘SuicideSafer Colleges’, an innovative pilot project in partnership with St Helens College in Merseyside.

The project was funded by three local grant giving trusts: The John Rayner Charitable Trust, the Providence Hospital Endowment Fund and the Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust.

We engaged with young people undertaking a Level 1 Diploma in Skills for Further Learning and Employment, as well as with young people who had been disengaged with education for some time. A number of health care students also took part. The project helped develop innovative new resources that PAPYRUS can use to promote its HOPELineUK services to students.

We delivered suicide prevention awareness raising sessions to a group of 30 staff and 30 community members, a range of voluntary community and voluntary organisations, and students who designed and delivered prevention activities and resources across the college campus.

82% of participants rated the sessions 10 out of 10, while 91% strongly agreed that they now understood more about PAPYRUS and our services. All of the participants, without exception, strongly agreed that they are now aware that suicide is a serious community health problem, and 91% agreed, or strongly agreed, that they now felt more able to talk about suicide. Every participant said that they were now keen to get involved with a suicide prevention activity in their community.

A full evaluation of the project has been carried out and we are hoping to extend the initiative with other colleges. For more information on Suicide-Safer Colleges, please contact Karen May, PAPYRUS Head of Development: Karen.may@papyrus-uk.org

The keyring pen drive designed by students which St Helens College now distributes to new and existing students 21

Supporter news and activities It’s been a very busy fundraising summer, all down to our fantastic supporters – you’ve run, swum, cycled and walked for PAPYRUS! These are just a handful of our supporters.

Thank you to everyone who has taken part in or supported an event, donated, or helped to raise awareness – helping us to save young lives.

PAPYRUS HOPEWalk 2016 HOPEWalk this year took place between the 8th and 16th October, with over 30 walks organised across the UK by our wonderful hosts!

A big thank you to all our hosts, walkers and everyone who helped make HOPEWalk 2016 possible. Let’s walk even further in 2017 – to register your interest email fundraising@papyrus-uk.org.

We also thank the 50+ runners who took part in the Frome races on 17th July in memory of Sam Stephenson and Callum Wooldridge raising over £6,000.

Thank you to the 12 runners who raised £819.93 by running the Cardiff 10k in memory of their friend Hawys.

Fundraisers

British 10k This year our runners raised £4,585 as well as helping to raise the profile of PAPYRUS. Our thanks to our brilliant runners Sam Bowden, Mary Sprinks, Claire Slegg, Michelle O’Gorman, Jack Smith and Pip Tuppen, and to everyone who supported them.

Nightrider Our Nightrider cyclists raised over £7,885 this year, cycling 100km across Liverpool, Bristol and London. Nightrider Liverpool was a very special event as the route passed the memorial of Simon Wallis, whose brothers, Nigel and Gordon, spent the night encouraging the riders and giving them a place to rest. A special award was presented to Graham Hughes for cycling in all three cities and raising over £3,000 in memory of his daughter Jennie.

In September, Gareth Owens undertook his #GetGazALift challenge – hitchhiking 1,100km around Wales and raising a fantastic £1,447!

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@papyrus_uk

Karl Geer and his friend Gareth took part in the Bear Grylls Survival 10k, in memory of Peter, raising £525.

Congratulations to all those who took part in one of our international challenges!

September and October saw George Hendry and his daughter, Claire, take on their East to West challenge. They faced a series of challenges, including the Great North Run; a 96 mile walk along the West Highland Way; climbing Ben Nevis; and running the Inverness 10k, raising over £3,500!

A huge thank you to all the NCS groups who raised over £2,000 for PAPYRUS over the summer as part of their social action project. Great work!

If you’d like to help, we are here to help you plan your events and challenges. Visit our website or email fundraising@papyrus-uk.org for more information. You’ll find more fundraising news and updates on: @papyrus_tweets

Joe Shirley and his friends took part in the North West Tough Mudder and raised a staggering £3,523.00 in memory of their friend Joe McGarry, more than doubling their fundraising target.

Henry Ticehurst took part in a rather chilly swim in Coniston Water, swimming from end to end and raising a brilliant £1,233.

@PAPYRUSUK

we’re also on Linkedin!

Hannah Hughes, one of our youth champions from our PENNINE Care NHS Trust Suicide-Safer Community Youth Project, and her friend April Stevenson have also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro – together they have raised over £4,000 from various different fundraising events.

Dan Regan took part in his third challenge for PAPYRUS, this time tackling Mount Kilimanjaro with his friend, Oscar. Amazing!

So far, Dan has raised over £7,000 for PAPYRUS from his many challenges.

Gregory Jones raised over £1,500 by taking on the Escambray Mountain Trekking Challenge in Cuba!

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Breaking the silence around young suicide: the biggest killer of young people in the UK

Young suicide in the UK is at its highest for the past 10 years.*

Suicides under the age of 35 in the UK

1700 1650 1600 1550 1500 1450

In 2015

1,659

young people UNDER THE AGE OF 35 took their own lives in the UK.

1400 1350

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

NEARLY

1 in 10

young people in England between Over three quarters of them were

boys or young men

16-34

the ages of have made a suicide attempt at some point in their lives.**

1 in 4 16-24 year old women 1 in 4 young people in England between the ages of 16-34 reported that they had thought about taking their own life at some point in their lives.**

in England have self-harmed at some point in their lives, about twice the rate for men in this age group. Self-harm is the most common indicator of suicide risk (aside from a suicide attempt).** *Office for National Statistics Statistical Bulletin: Suicides in England and Wales: 2015 Registrations Nicva: Quarterly and Annual Suicide Statistics for Northern Ireland: 2015 Registrations ScotPho: Suicide data introduction: 2015 Registrations. **The featured statistics are from the Office for National Statistics and the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2014.

Disclaimer: please note, yearly statistics relating to death by suicide are not directly representative of the number of individuals which died in that year, due to the time taken for registration.

Young suicide is everyone’s business and we all have a role to play in preventing it.

There is help and hope. HOPELineUK 0800 068 41 41 Four icons in this work are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.