PAPYRUS Newsletter - July 2016

NEWS

Might he be suicidal? Why we need to #TalkThroughTheTaboo – pages 4-5

Newsletter Edition Number 56

In this Issue:

Dear members and friends of PAPYRUS “It’s the same old story.”

Highlights 04-05

Talking about suicide saves young lives

06-07

PAPYRUS at the London Marathon

10-11

Volunteering with PAPYRUS

14-15

Growing the PAPYRUS Community

18-19

The Language of Self-harm and Suicide

22-23

Supporter news and activities

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

West Midlands Regional Office: Tel: 01925 572 444 Fax: 01925 240 502 www.papyrus-uk.org

Office 510B, The Big Peg 120 Vyse Street Birmingham B18 6NF

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

Honorary Advisor Professor David Gunnell – University of Bristol

Yet it can feel like we are repeating a familiar story. That means we must never be complacent. Our message is renewed and finds ever-greater momentum each time we hear of the death of a young person and when we encounter young people who share with us their struggles to live. In some ways, the same old story is that there is always hope. We must be relentless in our commitment to hope and steadfast in our resolve to stand alongside young people when they are experiencing thoughts of suicide.

In recent months, we saw the publication of the first detailed study into the factors contributing specifically to young suicide (those aged 10 – 19 years); some of the findings are summarised at the back of this newsletter. This is the first phase of a UK-wide investigation into suicides by people aged under 25, which we hope will encourage increased understanding of the role that schools, primary care, social services and the wider community can all play in suicide prevention.

Suicide prevention is everyone’s business.

Get in Touch Head Office:

That is a feeling we may have when we talk about the work of PAPYRUS and why we do it. But for most audiences, it remains a shocking revelation to know that suicide is the leading killer of young people in the UK. To many, the high numbers remain startling.

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

This edition of PAPYRUS News highlights again some of the ways that PAPYRUS helps to prevent suicide among young people. I am immensely grateful to all who support our work across the UK: our partners, our funders and all who make the work of PAPYRUS their own in so many ways. You each make a huge difference – thank you so much.

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:

As we prepare for World Suicide Prevention Day on Saturday 10th September 2016, we are keen to have your support in breaking the taboo, in raising our profile, and in refusing to believe that young suicides are inevitable. Join us online and share our hashtag – #TalkThroughTheTaboo – very simply, it may well save young lives.

Call: 0800 068 41 41 Text: 07786 209 697 Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org

Warmest wishes for a good summer!

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

02

03

TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE SAVES YOUNG LIVES

Talking about suicide saves lives but sometimes it is hard to know where to start or how to help.

Suicide Prevention Advisor Kirsty Fitzsimons offers guidance.

Every day at PAPYRUS we speak to young people, parents and professionals who want to help someone they are concerned about, but don’t feel confident in asking about suicide or knowing what to do next.

The first step to talking about suicide is recognising that somebody may be at risk.

There is no definitive guide on how to know if somebody is thinking about suicide because anybody can be at risk – however there are some things you can look out for.

Often people thinking about suicide will have experienced a stressful event associated with a feeling of loss. This might be something others might consider to be small but hold great meaning for that person, for example the loss of a family pet, or they might have 04

experienced a life event such as changing courses at college, bullying or violent assault.

People who are experiencing thoughts of suicide give out ‘invitations’ to ask for help. These may manifest themselves as changes in behaviour (self-harm, giving away possessions), the words they use (“I wish I wasn’t here”, “It doesn’t matter anymore”), physical indicators (sleep disturbance, weight loss), or they may display overwhelming feelings of anger, hopelessness, loneliness, or a sense of being ‘worthless’. Almost anything could be an indicator and often the key is that if something feels not quite right it is worth trusting your intuition and exploring what might be happening for that person.

People who are experiencing thoughts of suicide give out ‘invitations’ to ask for help.

The next step is vital, but can seem daunting.

You need to ask about suicide. It is important to do so clearly and directly, leaving no room for uncertainty. Say “Are you thinking about suicide?”

Asking ambiguous questions, such as “are you thinking about hurting yourself?” may result in an ambiguous answer – for example, a young person might reply “no” because by their reasoning they are thinking about ending their life, not just hurting themself. By using the word suicide you are telling the young person that it’s OK to talk openly about their thoughts of suicide with you.

Many people worry that asking about suicide might put the idea into a person’s head, or offend or anger them in some way. Research indicates that asking does not increase the risk. It is also unlikely that a young person will be angry or offended, but relieved you have invited them to talk about how they are feeling. Many young people feel they are a burden or undeserving of support or will not be taken seriously. By asking the question, you are showing that you are ready to listen and will help them to access support. Not asking is too great a risk to take.

For confidential advice and support on how to help a person at risk, or if you are thinking about suicide, speak with our professional advisors at: HOPELineUK on 0800 068 4141, text 07786 209 697 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org 05

MOLLY GAVE ME WINGS

On Sunday 24th April I woke up at 5am feeling extremely nervous and excited, I put my running gear on and my wife dropped me off at East Croydon station.

When I got to the platform there were about 20 people dressed in running gear. Everyone was so friendly and I chatted with complete strangers all the way to London Bridge.

I commute daily to London Bridge and have never talked to a complete stranger as it’s ‘not the done thing’. I intend to change that!

PAPYRUS member Adam Smith shares his experience of running this year’s London Marathon.

I ran this year’s London Marathon for Molly.

Molly took her life on July 21st 2015 at the age of 19. Vicky and Peter, Molly’s parents, are good friends of my wife and I. I ran because I needed to do something, anything that I felt would make a difference. I raised the idea of running the London Marathon with Vicky and she mentioned a charity called PAPYRUS.

The London Marathon 2016 has so far raised £18,928.25 for PAPYRUS and counting – our best ever total! This year we had eight wonderful runners; we are extremely grateful to all of them for their hard work and to everyone who supported them. Events like these are incredibly important to PAPYRUS. They provide an invaluable opportunity to raise vital funds, increase awareness and help shatter the stigma around young suicide.

06

‘I ran because I needed to do something, anything that I felt would make a difference.’

It seems so much has happened since my first contact with PAPYRUS last year. So far I have raised over £3,000 for this extraordinary charity, my picture was in our local paper, I was on BBC Radio Surrey…and I ran the London Marathon!

Miles Cavey’s family cheered him on at the London Marathon.

When I arrived at the start the nervous excitement was infectious, the sheer number of runners was incredible with so many running kit colours and costumes.

The funniest sight I saw was a giant rhino chatting to a giant testicle, but that’s a story for another time.

My family and friends were at three agreed locations and I saw them at each one, with sweaty hugs all round and an energy gel pressed into my hand before I set off again.

I found the run incredibly moving and humbling with people from all over the world running for good causes and, in many cases, for loved ones.

The finish was spectacular; as I rounded the second-to-last bend Buckingham Palace

“I’m really pleased to have completed the London Marathon in aid of PAPYRUS. Thanks to everyone who supported me in raising money for such a great cause” - Chris Thompson

presented itself with the crowds six deep, I felt so elated and emotional that I couldn’t stop smiling and waving.

I found my friends and family at our agreed spot. The first person I saw was my dad, he had tears rolling down his face and I couldn’t keep it together and we cried together for a few moments, before my group of 13 supporters hugged and cheered. It was such a special moment. I then had a private chat with Vicky and Peter before we all started our journey home and to our local pub.

And my time?

Three hours, 54 minutes, and four seconds.

How I managed that time I really don’t know but I think someone called Molly gave me wings.

£18,928.25 total raised for PAPYRUS at the London Marathon

Elspeth Hoskins, daughter of previous PAPYRUS runner Richard Hoskins, ran in memory of her brother David

“A fantastic experience and I could not have been doing it for a better cause than PAPYRUS”.

Charlie Paton finished in three hours 10 minutes!

07

Supporting young people at risk

Frequently Asked Questions

HOPELineUK is the PAPYRUS confidential support and advice service for young people under the age of 35 who may be having thoughts of suicide and anyone concerned about a young person.

Here are some of the types of query we receive; you may find them helpful:

HOPELineUK is staffed by mental health professionals trained in suicide intervention skills.

The knowledge gained from HOPELineUK helps us to shape the training we deliver and supports our campaigns. These may range from young people struggling to access mental health services, to abuse, bullying and isolation.

In the first quarter of this year HOPELineUK received 21,066 contacts to the service – via telephone, text and email.

During April alone volume increased by 130% over the same month last year.

08

HOPELineUK – helping you to help others

Phone: 0800 068 4141 Text: 07786 209 697 Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org Monday – Friday: 10am - 10pm Weekends: 2-10pm Bank holidays: 2-5pm

Q: I’m going to uni and worried I won’t live up to everyone’s expectations. I’m the youngest of four siblings and my brothers and sisters have all done really well. My brother works in politics and my sister is training to be a doctor. I don’t even know what I want to do. I’m not even sure I’m going to get in. I think I messed up all my exams and the results are coming out soon. I know I’ll be compared to everyone and I don’t have anyone to talk to. This has been going on for months. I’m really struggling to sleep, I feel so tired. I just want to run away, I don’t want to deal with any of this anymore, or anyone...

Q: I’m really worried about my son. I have noticed he is becoming increasingly withdrawn and has fresh cuts on his arms. I have tried to ask him about the cuts and have encouraged him to leave his room more but he won’t. I don’t know how to help him. He doesn’t seem to have friends and hasn’t been himself for weeks, since his best friend killed himself.

What should I do?

A: We understand that it can be really difficult to feel you have to live up to other people’s expectations. It sounds as though this is really impacting on your selfesteem. When you mention you want to run away and don’t want to deal with anyone or anything anymore, are you thinking about suicide? It’s not uncommon to feel this way, and we really urge you to contact HOPELineUK to talk things through. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking you can text or email. Or think about whom you would feel most comfortable talking to – perhaps a friend, your mum or dad, or a teacher.

A: Be assured you have done the right thing by starting a conversation with your son about self-harm, showing him it is OK to talk about this. Have you asked him about suicide? If you find this uncomfortable HOPELineUK can advise how to broach the subject as well as provide short-term suicide prevention advice and support.

Has your son has been offered bereavement counselling or therapeutic support since his friend took his own life? If not, talk with your GP about this, as well as your son’s general mood and self-harm.

There is also bereavement after suicide advice available online at sites such as www.supportaftersuicide.org.uk 09

Why I volunteer for PAPYRUS PAPYRUS volunteer Chris talked to us about losing his friend to suicide, volunteering and how we can all make a difference.

Mike Fest

Quite often we get people coming up and asking for help. That’s how I got involved with PAPYRUS as part of the pilot Suicide Safer Communities for Young People (SSCYP) project.

I lost my friend Mike to suicide in August 2011 when we were both 23. We’d been in a band together and went skateboarding together, so we were always in touch whether it was in or outside of school. After we finished school, lots of people moved on and moved away and the band had grown apart in the last few years before he died. I’m not sure if that’s something that affected Mike personally as he struggled to be open about his personal life.

Being part of the project was nerve-wracking at first as I have struggled with anxiety and depression myself, but it was good getting involved and meeting the other volunteers. As a result I now know that a lot of supporting someone at risk is actually about common sense in terms of talking and showing empathy – stuff we should already know.

Mike was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met – no one ever had a bad word to say about him. He affected so many people – friends from school, friends he’d met online, people he’d met through the band.

After Mike died we would always meet up every year and light some lanterns and a fire, get some drinks in and share memories with each other. It really helps to keep his memory alive and has really helped his family and friends to cope with losing him. We also set up Mike Fest in his memory, a music festival and family fun day which we hold every summer.

We want to get more families involved and have a good day but also get information out there, just to show that there is amazing support available in the community.

10

We set up Mike Fest in his memory, a music festival and family fun day. We want to get more families involved and show that there is amazing support available in the community.

“SUICIDE IS STILL SUCH A TABOO SUBJECT AND THERE’S A LOT STIGMA AROUND IT.” But suicide is still such a taboo subject and there’s a lot of stigma around it. It’s also a challenging area because even the next generation after me has had such a different experience. Technology has meant that there’s less of a need to go outside as much, as when young people have everything they need on their phones; they don’t have those epic conversations or little adventures when they’re kids that I had when I was growing up.

In the future I’m hoping to be part of a youth committee that can help to engage with young people. We need to think what content they are interested in right now and how are we going to reach out to them.

“I JUST WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE - WE CAN ALL HELP EACH OTHER.” I’d really like to look at how we can use social media to really step up the game. We also need to train more people in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills training (ASIST) so that more and more people can use it in the community where it is most needed, and share real stories that will have an impact.

The way I see it, to take that first step to get help, everyone’s saying ‘you can do this’, when actually sometimes what you want is someone who will help you to take that step to get the support you need. If someone wants help, offer to meet up with them, do something different and talk about it together, and help them to access help.

People often forget but it’s the little things that matter and build up and make a massive difference over time.

I just want to make a difference – we can all help each other. We can change the world – in a way we’ve already done that with Mike Fest by changing the world around us.

“PEOPLE OFTEN FORGET IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MATTER AND BUILD UP AND MAKE A MASSIVE DIFFERENCE OVER TIME.” 11

NURSES DEMAND SUICIDE PREVENTION TRAINING The narrative around suicide is imperative to how we address it. At present it sits under the umbrella of ‘mental health’, and therefore a large focus of preventative responses are articulated within this arena.

This means that we miss a whole suicide safer community focus and response to suicide awareness and prevention.

Take nursing for example. Before qualifying, a mental health student nurse has to pass specific competencies related to working with people with thoughts of suicide. Students studying in other fields of nursing (adult, child, midwifery and learning disabilities) do not. While it is understood that people with mental health difficulties are at high risk of suicide, we also know that suicide does not discriminate – so the potential for us to come into contact with someone who is suicidal, whether inside or outside of the health care arena, is significant.

With this in mind, is it not important that all nurses are aware of suicide as a potential status of patients in their care, and that they should feel prepared and able to ask about it? Interestingly, a recent survey via the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) showed there is an

12

Annessa Rebair is a registered Mental Health Nurse, Senior Lecturer and a PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide Trustee

appetite for training in this area from adult nurses in particular, and anecdotal evidence gained teaching at Northumbria University has strengthened these findings.

Suicide awareness now features on a public health module taught to adult, mental health, learning disability and children’s nurses. Due to popular request an extra day’s workshop is currently being offered as a pilot to third year adult and mental health and adult students.

Unfortunately this is not offered as a matter of course at universities throughout the country.

Only by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) incorporating this in preregistration competencies will training be ensured, reaching out to a huge population of nurses at the forefront of care and in a position to ask about the realities of suicide.

Work is currently being pursued in this area with the support of the Royal College of Nursing and PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide.

STUDY CONFIRMS SUICIDE IS A COMMUNITY ISSUE Pioneered by Dr Elizabeth McDermott from Lancaster University, Queer Futures* is a national study investigating selfharm and suicide within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities. The research looked to assess why LGBTQ people are at higher risk of suicide, identifying where they access help and from whom, and the views of professionals helping them.

Over the past two years, LGBTQ young people in England aged 16-25 years, who have had previous experience of self-harm and suicide, were interviewed.

Further online questionnaires were given to mental health service staff. *McDermott, E., Hughes, E., Rawlings, V. (2016) Queer Futures: Understanding lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) adolescents’ suicide, self-harm and help-seeking behaviour http://www.queerfutures.co.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2016/06/Queer-Futures-Final-Report.pdf

Transgender people are twice as likely to experience abuse than other groups

There was also an increased risk of self-harm amongst those who were distressed about hiding their sexuality

Key findings include

Those who experienced abuse are one and a half times more likely to plan or attempt suicide

When reaching out for support and help, 99.5% of participants used the internet when self-harming or having suicidal thoughts

13

Growing the PAPYRUS Community Our regional work continues to gather momentum.

Here we highlight progress in the West Midlands.

Young People’s Champions We’re thrilled that our young West Midlands Champions continue their strong support to PAPYRUS. They are moving forward with a wealth of ideas to develop the group and are recruiting new participants. Once again they took part in the Birmingham PRIDE parade at the end of May and in doing so reinforced awareness of PAPYRUS with sponsors Barclays Bank as well as the LGBT community in Birmingham.

The Champions were also invited to speak at the Rotary Club of Birmingham, which has chosen PAPYRUS as its charity of the year.

The Champions also entered a crew in the Rotary’s Dragon Boat Festival! A local Brownie group has also issued an invitation to speak about positive mental wellbeing and the work of PAPYRUS.

We are also liaising with a number of organisations which have expressed interest in our work and Suicide Safer Communities partnerships.

We were delighted to have received grants from the Clothworkers Foundation and Monument Trust. These funds will help secure and develop our work over the next two to three years. A grant from Zurich Community Trust will also enable us to fund and deliver ten free suicide prevention sessions, engaging up to 300 community participants from Birmingham. These interactive workshops are designed to shatter stigma, highlight available support and ultimately save young lives.

Our training programme continues, with courses delivered recently to Abbey College, CITY Year, and University College Birmingham.

Putting young suicide and young people on the agenda

We were delighted to have the support of a group of students from Birmingham University who recently held an indoor golf event to raise our profile and much needed funds. Many thanks to Jethro and Hugo for organising this highly successful occasion!

Recently, in the West Midlands we have held meetings with a number of groups to promote our work and develop further training. They include Newman University, the Anti-Bullying Network, Spurgeons, the National Citizen Service, Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide, Birmingham Voluntary Sector Council, Wolverhampton Suicide Prevention Stakeholder Forum, West Midlands Joint Local Authority Mental Health Commission, and Forward Thinking Birmingham.

14

15

thoughts and twice came close to acting on them, but changed his mind for random reasons. We had no idea.

Harry Biggs-Davison lost his son Patrick to suicide in 2015. Here he states why he believes young lives are being needlessly lost.

My son did not want to di

But did the mental health

e...

services care

enough to prevent him k illi

ng himself?

My son, Patrick, died in January 2015, aged 25. That his suicide came as a shock to the family doesn’t even come close.

Although Patrick had issues with drugs and depression, he had never, to our knowledge, come close to suicide. In fact, I naively believed there were signs that his difficult life was improving. He had a steady if low-level job with a data company, seemed to be taking fewer drugs, and be in generally better spirits, often talking positively about his job.

He had always lived at home, and though intelligent and exceptionally well-read, besides being a handsome and personable young man, he had diagnosed ADHD, a terrible selfimage and lacked confidence (as well as the

16

academic qualifications) to get out into the world. Above all his life had been scarred by drug dependency.

Shortly after Patrick died, we discovered two letters he had received from the mental health unit of a local hospital to which Patrick had self-referred. The contents were shattering.

The first, dated 25th September 2014, detailed a meeting with a trainee psychiatrist.

Patrick, who rarely shared his feelings with us, clearly opened up and bared his soul. He described himself as pathetic and a nonachiever, who had wasted all his money on drugs. He described feelings of extreme anxiety in a range of situations. He described auditory hallucinations. He said that in the summer he experienced increasingly suicidal

A plan was made for a further assessment appointment for ADHD screening and referral to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) for anxiety and mood management. The letter included a risk assessment in which the risk of suicide was rated ‘low’. We discovered later that as Patrick had said that he was not feeling suicidal at the time of his consultation the risk of suicide had to be assessed as ‘low’.

No matter if he had said that he wanted to kill himself yesterday and would probably do so tomorrow. No matter too, apparently, that in his meeting with the trainee psychiatrist he had elicited 11 (out of 13) ‘warning signs’ of potential suicide, as published on the NHS Mental Health fact sheet, available to all online.

Patrick received a second letter dated 8th October, less than a fortnight later.

It informed him that as he had not made a further appointment he was to be discharged ‘from on-going care with our team back to your GP’. Patrick had explained that he could not make an appointment immediately, having just started a new job and was concerned his boss might react badly to his missing more time off. He was also given a risk assessment of ‘moderate’ for ‘non-engagement’, as he had a history of not completing counselling courses. Yet his failing to follow up his appointment within 10 days was not deemed worthy of a reminder letter or call to his private mobile. Was our clearly anxious and vulnerable son, bravely acting independently, not worth a single reminder before being discharged?

Having spent time talking to PAPYRUS, two comments were made about Patrick’s case which hit me hard. First, Patrick, by going to the mental health unit voluntarily, showed that he did not want to die. He was seeking help to stay alive. Second, the practitioners who dealt with him simply did not care enough. Even the whitewash masquerading as a hospital enquiry stated ‘when the patient made no further contact with the team to arrange an ADHD screening appointment, the team could have contacted him at this point to see if he wished to go ahead with this’. Otherwise, the investigation concluded that the fault lay with Patrick for ‘not engaging.’

“HE WAS SEEKING HELP TO STAY ALIVE.” Having talked to many other parents with similar stories, I believe young lives are being needlessly lost, not just by lack of funding and the inadequacies of the Mental Health Act, but by lack of sufficient care and compassion within the mental health system. Until hospital investigations for Coroners’ courts are conducted with more honesty and integrity, and are prepared to criticise rather than ‘whitewash’ their employees when it is justified, don’t expect things to change any time soon.

“BY GOING TO THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT VOLUNTARILY, PATRICK SHOWED THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO DIE.” Patrick

17

THE LANGUAGE OF SELF-HARM AND SUICIDE: DO THE WORDS WE USE REALLY MATTER? Emma Nielsen, University of Nottingham Lpxen@nottingham.ac.uk

Suicide is complex. Helping to prevent suicide doesn’t have to be. Everyone has a role to play and there are small changes we can all make to have a big impact.

Thinking about the language we use can do just that. Whilst our language can convey compassion, provide hope, empowerment and optimism, we can also unwittingly express messages that divide and stigmatise. Even everyday expressions may carry connotations we have not considered and speak to ideas we don’t condone.

The term ‘committed suicide’ has perhaps prompted the most publicised opposition.

Although commit can mean a number of things, it generally tends to be associated with negativity and wrong-doing.

People commit crimes. People commit moral atrocities. People die by suicide.

18

Emma Nielsen is a PhD student in the Self-Harm Research Group, University of Nottingham

@EmmaLNielsen

While opinions about suicide vary, we don’t usually associate the term commit with a public health concern or a mental health tragedy, and the phrase fails to acknowledge the turmoil faced by someone prior to taking their life. Historically, suicide was deemed a crime. Not anymore (it was decriminalised in the UK in 1961). While we’ve updated our legislation appropriately, we haven’t updated

our language; suicide is a cause of death and our language should reflect this. In no other situation would we say that someone committed their death, regardless of any personal or lifestyle factors which may have contributed to the outcome. Stigma can be life-changing and life-limiting. Research shows that stigma makes people less likely to ask for help and also less likely to get it. For survivors of suicide loss, insensitive language can amplify distress.

Stigma is also faced by those who have experiences around self-harm. Stigma comes in many forms. Overtly, self-harm is often wrongly dismissed as ‘manipulative’ or ‘attention seeking’. More subtly, phrases like ‘self-harmers’, ‘cutters’ and ‘ideators’ (describing people who have thought about harming themselves but have not done so) are also difficult for many.

Language here could be seen as dismissive and pejorative. Some feel such terms take away from individual identity; typically, selfharm affords people a means of dealing with intolerable (and often deeply distressing) emotions. It is not who they are. Being respected and valued first and foremost as an individual is important to wellbeing.

Thus, many prefer the use of ‘people first language’ – which talks about ‘people who self-harm’, rather than ‘self-harmers’.

People first language also allows us to use words more accurately; unlike phrases like ‘self-harmer’, person first phrasing can easily communicate recency (e.g., in the last

6 months) and frequency (e.g., more than five times). Here, language matters as it helps to shape our attitudes and ideas. These phrases acknowledge the possibility of recovery. These things are really important as the possibility of change is laced with hope. And hope is vital. Hope keeps people alive.

People are different. Everyone should be free to tell their story in their own words. We can’t know what each person will prefer, but we can do our best to ensure that words don’t build unintentional barriers that exclude those who most need to be heard.

We need to open up conversations with people if we are worried about them. And we need to make sure that the language we use is informed and hopeful. We have an opportunity to lead by example, to consider the choices we make to politely and helpfully challenge those around us. We can all play a role in suicide prevention. Starting with small and simple changes, that’s quite something…

“RESEARCH SHOWS THAT STIGMA MAKES PEOPLE LESS LIKELY TO ASK FOR HELP AND ALSO LESS LIKELY TO GET IT.” 19

“It’s made me more aware, equipped and passionate to reach out and save my community” Bolton ASIST Participant Volunteers promoting PAPYRUS at a May Day event in Bolton

Working in partnership with PAPYRUS: Preventing Young Suicide in Bolton Sherida Collins is Commissioning Manager at Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group, which appointed PAPYRUS to deliver a Suicide Safer Communities for Young People project (SSCYP) in 2015-2016.

As a result, 16 suicide awareness sessions have been delivered to over 200 participants and 22 people have completed ASIST. We also have a wide variety of Youth Champions who have engaged with us through our Suicide Safer Communities project and are now delivering suicide prevention awareness activities within their own communities in Bolton.

We commissioned PAPYRUS to raise the awareness of suicide prevention within Bolton.

This year-long project now forms part of Bolton education work within the CAMHS transformation plans. The project has been split into four areas:

PAPYRUS has also worked in collaboration with the Greater Manchester Strategic Clinical Network and Bolton CCG to deliver mental health and wellbeing events to the British, Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) community of Bolton between February and April 2016. These workshops included gaining an understanding of what mental health means to events to the BAME communities, the Five Ways to Wellbeing, and suicide prevention awareness sessions. We look forward to continuing to work with PAPYRUS to develop new ways of raising suicide prevention awareness within the Bolton community.

1. A Suicide Safer Communities for Young People Project (SSCYP) 2. Delivering suicide prevention awareness raising sessions 3. Delivering Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) 4. Promoting HOPELineUK services 20

PAPYRUS in the News Mentions of PAPYRUS in the media help increase our share of voice in the mental health sector. They encourage people to join us, leverage future support from funders and raise awareness with government, local authorities and partner organisations.

Vitally they inform young people that there is hope and PAPYRUS is there to support them.

This year we have featured on national and local BBC and ITV, national press including The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Morning Star, Huffington Post and The Sun. Local newspapers across the UK have highlighted the success of our fundraisers.

If you feel able to share your story please mail to: pressoffice@papyrus-uk.org.

You will help us reach out to more young people.

Journalists have a right to report suicide and inquest outcomes extremely difficult times for families and friends. Most journalists are sensitive when reporting suicide, though the quest for the detail they have been trained to extract when reporting news can be intrusive. Our press office can guide and support you through the process.

21

Supporter news and activities These are just some of the amazing people who make our vital life-saving work possible.

Massive thanks to all of our incredible fundraisers and supporters!

5th annual PAPYRUS HOPEWalk Will you and your friends put on your walking, hiking, trekking shoes, boots and trainers to help shatter the stigma surrounding young suicide?

A record 25 runners were highly visible in their PAPYRUS running vests on the Great Manchester Run on the 22nd May helping to raise awareness and raising £5,627.20!

This will be our 5th annual October HOPEWalk!

It takes place for a whole week this year, between 8th – 16th October, to coincide with World Mental Health Awareness Day on the 10th October. If you would like to be a Host you’ll find a wealth of information on our website www.papyrus-uk.org or contact the fundraising team at fundraising@ papyrus-uk.org or 01925 572 444. We would love to hear about your plans.

Kate Pope and Joe Nurser ran the Shakespeare Marathon in memory of their cousin Ryan and raised £618.38.

PAPYRUS Youth Champion Hannah Hughes will be climbing Kilimanjaro with friend and fellow fundraiser April Stevenson. In the run up to this challenge, they planned a series of fundraisers including a successful #purple4PAPYRUS awareness and fundraiser and a charity night at the Black Dog Ballroom in Manchester.

To date we know many of you are planning a HOPEWalk in your area – from small family groups, to communities and businesses, small and corporate; some walking in memory of loved ones, all walking to raise hope. @papyrus_tweets @papyrus_uk @PAPYRUSUK we’re also on Linkedin!

Former Trustee Anne Thorn took part in the Sahara Desert Challenge back in March in memory of Toby and raised over £3,300! She would like to “thank each and every person who supported me and gave money to PAPYRUS to help save young lives in memory of my son.”

Jenny and Sarah marking answers at a fundraising quiz in the Wirral organised by the Hughes family, which raised over £2,000 for PAPYRUS.

Medics4Charity, a group of 20 paramedics, walked the length of the Isle of Wight in aid of PAPYRUS.

Fiona and Alison Graham raised £560 by hiking 4,414ft up Ben Nevis on the 14th May in memory of their brother Matt Graham.

Jack Smith is holding his annual charity ball for PAPYRUS again on 5 November in Reigate, Surrey; this year the theme is James Bond - Casino Royale! To buy your tickets, please go to www.papyrusball.co.uk 22

Lily Turner raised £3,512.09 in support of her Paris Marathon challenge. To date she has raised a staggering £11,695.70 for our charity!

James Guinan held a jazz gig at his school on the 15th April and ran the Chester Half Marathon a month later, raising over £1,700 and raising awareness of PAPYRUS among young friends.

To date the Happy Days Appeal has raised over £39,000 for PAPYRUS, thanks to the wonderful work of the Wallis family. In July they organised a fundraising concert featuring the Sons of Pitches!

Claire O’Shea raised a fantastic £1,035 running the Brighton Marathon on the 17th April, enthusiastically cheered on by her family.

Don’t forget to tweet us your pics @PAPYRUS_tweets! Have you followed us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook?

23

IN THE UK, SUICIDE IS THE BIGGEST KILLER OF YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER 35

In 2014

YOUNG FEMALE SUICIDES

1,556

71%

increased by

young people took their lives in the UK

end their lives each day

Many more attempt and thousands self-harm

an increase of 24% from 2013

PAPYRUS believes these figures are the tip of the iceberg. In the UK suicide has not been a crime since 1961 yet the law demands that coroners use the criminal standard of proof to conclude that a death was a suicide.

This means the total number of lives lost to suicide is likely to be much higher.

FOUR YOUNG PEOPLE On average

Young suicide is complex – there are many reasons why a young person may end their life.

Recent research* into the contributory factors leading up to suicide in those aged 10-19 years in England showed that:

29%

25%

were facing

exam results at the time of death

were socially

isolated or

withdrawn

28%

36%

had a physical

health condition

22%

reports of bullying, mostly face to face

were bereaved, 13% by a suicide of a family member or friend *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. * The featured statistics are from the Office of National Statistics and research conducted by the University of Manchester.

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 ​a re​licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.