Wairarapa’s locally owned community newspaper
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2018
INSIDE: Christmas comes ear ly for hospital P4
Fighting the tide P32
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Shedding light on suicide Emily Ireland For Wairarapa’s suicide prevention coordinator, the word “hope” means her heart is still beating. The word has such profound meaning to her that she legally changed her last name to Hope to celebrate surviving her own mental health battles. In September, “hope” will take on a special
meaning for other Wairarapa people, with the inaugural Hope Walk being held in Masterton and Featherston on September 9. Suicide prevention coordinator Rachel Hope said the theme of the day was “working together to prevent suicide” – mirroring the theme of International Suicide Awareness Day (September 10). It’s not the only event designed to raise awareness of
mental health and suicide in Wairarapa – a sign that Rachel says shows that the community is taking ownership of a challenge often ignored. Recent provisional suicide statistics, released last week by the coroner’s office, show there were eight suicides recorded in Wairarapa during the year ending June, down from 12 the previous year. Rachel said while an improvement was good, the
statistics were still “heartbreaking”. “While that’s vaguely encouraging we are doing something right . . . I’d love for it to say zero under Wairarapa,” she said. The Hope Walk is one of many upcoming events organised by the community to raise awareness of suicide and show support for people in Wairarapa living with mental illness, or those who have been
bereaved by suicide. Other events include a tattoo fundraiser, boxing, and a film screening. The Hope Walk, which has been done throughout New Zealand, is a collective walk through participating towns, with everyone united by the colour yellow. It has been described as a “sea of yellow” by onlookers. Continued on page 3
Hope Walks have been held around New Zealand. PHOTO/HOPE WALK
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