Council joins alliance in bid to end the misery of suicide

ROSSENDALE council has joined forces with a national alliance that is aiming to eradicate suicide in the UK.

The Zero Suicide Alliance’s coalition are working together to help rid the UK of suicide by initially raising awareness of a free online suicide prevention training programme.

The free training, which takes just 20 minutes, teaches people how to recognise the warning signs and safeguard someone that could be contemplating suicide, talking openly to them and directing them to support services.

The authority will be holding two SafeTalk training sessions on the morning of Tuesday, March 17 and the afternoon of Wednesday, March 25.

Arranged in conjunction with Lancashire Mind the sessions will be held in the council chamber at Future’s Park, Bacup.

They are free and will teach participants practical advice on helping people experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Latest available Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showed there were 10 suicides recorded in the borough in 2018, up from seven in the previous two years combined. The 682 suicides across the North West was the highest since 2014.

Council leader Coun Alyson Barnes said: “Joining forces with the Zero Suicide Alliance is an important step. It’s vital we create a community-wide response on taking part in, and promoting, the training as it avoids tragedy but it also means our communities are stronger as the impact of a death is wide-ranging.”

If you are interested in attending the SafeTalk training sessions email miastarkie@rossendalebc.gov.uk .