Trying to prevent tragedy with power of a conversation
NEW HUMBER BRIDGE WELLBEING CENTRE LAUNCHED
A NEW wellbeing centre at the Humber Bridge manned by charity volunteers is looking to help staff at the landmark prevent further tragedies through patrols and the power of conversation.
The wellbeing hub has been established to help the existing Humber Bridge Board staff who are responsible for the safety of users across the span of the 7,300ft suspension bridge.
The bridge’s footpaths were closed in April after six deaths were recorded in just 31 days but the walkways have now reopened to the public.
The hub on the north bank of the river will be maintained by members of the charity MIND during the day and by the Bearded Fishermen group from 7pm until the walkways close at 9.30pm.
We visited the centre on its second night of opening, volunteers Ben, Mel and Toni had just arrived for their shift and were making a hot drink in the hub’s kitchen area. Bearded Fishermen founding member Mick Leyland arrived shortly afterwards and lives up to the charity name with his large bushy beard being the among first things you notice when he enters the room.
The Gainsborough based group have been steadily expanding their operations across northern Lincolnshire in previous months and Mick and charity chairman Rick Roberts have been manning patrols, phone lines and office desks to make it all happen.
Their latest involvement in this area comes through the hub which is next to the Humber Bridge Covid-19 testing centre near Hessle on the north bank of the river which will provide a base for their patrols and a place for people to seek help and advice.
Mick said: “We’ve been coming here five nights a week anyway, after the recent inci
dents we decided that this was somewhere we should be patrolling and we’ve been working closely with the Bridge Board to make that happen. There have been a few people already
that we’ve had conversations with that we’ve been able to offer help and support to that we might not have got to otherwise.
“On the very first night we were here I got chatting to a young guy that was on his own up on the walkway by the first pillar from this side of the bridge.
“I just had an inkling that he might need someone to talk to and we ended up bonding a bit over a shared love of metal music and I had a stroll with him back down to where his car was parked.
“We got a call the next day from his mum who was in tears and wanted to say thank you, he had opened up to her and told her that he’d gone to the bridge to end his life.
“He said having the talk had changed his mind and he decided that he was going to try and access as much help as he could to get better.
“That is the power that these little chats can have, just a conversation with someone can change the course of someone’s life and you might not even realise it at the time.”
The bridge’s footpaths were closed on Saturday, April 3, after six deaths were recorded in just 31 days.
While the closure was s a necessary short term measure to safeguard those at risk of harm arm it left cyclists who live and work on separate sides of the river without a safe fe route. As part of the reopening the Bearded d Fishermen have e worked alongside the e Bridge Board to patrol l the footpath and engage ge with people using the he bridge that they think hink might be in need of help. p. A spokesperson for the he Humber Bridge Board said: : “A decision was made to close the footways on April 3 after the tragic events of the previous six weeks and this has proved to be very effective. “Only a small number of emotionally distressed individuals have visited the bridge since then, all of whom have been escorted safely away and towards the relevant support. “After the first week we successfully reopened to commuters and have since been working on other measures to enable a safe reopening for everyone to enjoy the use of the bridge again.
“We have also been working very closely with mental health charities and partners to set up the Information and Wellbeing Hub (the Hub) which will be opening on Wednesday 5 May.
“Other changes we have put in place include additional signage and changes to our CCTV system, which will enable the west footway to be opened on Thursday.
“The Board committed to progressing the feasibility study into increasing the footway parapets in September 2019. This was to be progressed in 2020, however, the impact of the COVID pandemic severely affected this. This is now being revisited and progressed.” The work of the volunteers is long and cold in the current climate, the span of the bridge is about a two and a half hour walk for the volunteers.
Ben, 28, from Scunthorpe and Mel, 46 from Gainsborough are tasked with the first patrol of the night, they set off with walkie-talkies and a hot coffee in hand. han
Back at the hub, we have a chat with Toni Ton who is just 19-yearsold bu but had travelled all the way from Gainsborough to hel help out, she was very ho honest about the work t the group do.
She said: “Sometimes i it does feel like we’re n not doing anything, we can just be here and nothing will happen but w we have to remember tha that is a good outcome. “I’ “I’m not going to lie and say it is easy either, it has been absolutel absolutely freezing at times, earlier in the year yea I was coming it with five or six layers on and that still wasn’t enough when we were out on a patrol.”
The hub is currently open for limited hours with MIND manning the station in the day before the Bearded Fishermen arrive at 7pm from Tuesday to Saturday.
The group are actively seeking volunteers from the local area to help with the operation of the hub and are offering full training and support for anyone that wants to get involved. They’re hoping that with some additional local volunteers they may eventually be able to man the station with just a few members of the Gainsborough group so that other volunteers don’t have to make the lengthy trip each time.
Mick is open and honest about his own experiences with mental health issues, he said: “I am a suicide survivor myself, I have a history when it comes to mental health and I understand some of the struggles that people are going through.
“Recently my struggle has been working in the office all of the time, I’m an outdoors person by nature, I’m at my best on patrols and talking to people on the ground.
“Being tied to the desk has actually been a
real struggle and something that ended with me needing a bit of time off, in terms of depression I’m still managing my own health too.
“But that is what we really offer here, a bit of understanding and someone to talk to because sometimes that is all it takes to save a life.”
As Mick is talking the walkie-talkie in his hand crackles and a tense silence descends over the room, everyone’s eyes are transfixed on the little black device waiting to hear a voice.
There is a palpable feeling in the room that Mick and Toni are ready to spring into action on a moment’s notice from the team out on patrol.
More indistinguishable static comes through the receiver and Toni asks through the channel if Mel and Ben know that they’ve pressed the talk button.
The channel opens again but this time faint voices can be heard in the background, it is Ben and Mel chatting and one had depressed the talk button by accident, panic averted. Another quiet night on the bridge, thankfully. If you or someone you know is in need of help you can contact the Bearded Fishermen support centre you can call them on 0300 365 0019 or find the website at www.beardedfishermen.org.uk/
Just a conversation with someone can change the course of someone’s life and you might not even realise it at the time
Mick Leyland