Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Golf event raises suicide awareness
North Lanarkshire marked suicide prevention day with a fundraising golf tournament in support of the Samaritans.
Eighty players from 23 teams took to the fairways at the Palacerigg course in Cumbernauld, with their entry donations raising £550 for the charity.
The event was hosted by Suicide Prevention North Lanarkshire, with the event aiming to raise awareness and support efforts to reduce the number of suicides across Lanarkshire and further afield. Last year alone, 48 people in North Lanarkshire took their own lives, with 784 deaths from suicide being recorded across Scotland.
Depute council leader Paul Kelly said: “sport provides a great platform to raise awareness about suicide and it was great to see so many people taking to the greens to support this suicide prevention golf day.
“Many people, especially after the difficult 18 months everyone has endured during the health pandemic, have suffered from anxiety, depression and loneliness – we want to share the message that help is available and encourage people to talk openly about suicide.
“We are asking everyone to be alert to the warning signs of suicide – if you are worried about a friend, family member or work colleague, asking them directly about their feelings can make all the difference.
“The message we want to get across is ‘let’s Talk’, as we try to encourage everyone to talk more openly about suicide so that we can all play our part in helping to prevent it.”
Willie Kerr, director of the Samaritans’ Lanarkshire branch, said the event helped “raise crucial awareness about suicide prevention”.
He added: “we want to create hope through action by getting communities to talk openly about suicide.
“Our vision is to ensure that we take all the action we can so fewer people die by suicide; we all have a role to play in doing that.”
Anyone who is worried about suicide or someone who may be at risk can call the Samaritans on 116123 or Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87.