SDZ0000 To Run Festival Of Hope Through Action
- Suicide Prevention Charity Organises Festival of Hope Through Action
Local charity Suicide Down to Zero has organised a festival of events in the run up to World Suicide Prevention Day Saturday 10th September.
The Festival of Hope Through Action, begins on Sunday 4th of September with an ecumenical church service of Hope and Healing in St Mary’s church, John Mitchell Place, Newry. The service will celebrate life, survival and recovery and will hear from friends and relatives of those who have died by suicide.
The festival programme also includes a live linkup with USA suicide prevention expert Dr Frank Campbell on Monday 5th September in Denvir’s Hotel, Downpatrick at 2.30 — 4.30pm.
Dr Campbell will speak about Active Postvention support and the LossTeam initiative with survivors of suicide in America. Other events include a SafeTALK workshop in Castlewellan Community Centre on Wednesday evening and a special screening of the trauma recovery documentary: The Quiet Shuffling of Feet in Newcastle Community Cinema on Thursday.
The final event will be an exhibition and showcase of helpful approaches, training workshops and resources in suicide prevention in the Downshire Arms Hotel, Hilltown on Saturday 10th 12.00-1.30pm.
Speaking ahead of the festival Suicide Down to Zero Chairman Pat McGreevy, a retired social worker, said: “This year we wanted to focus on action we all can take to prevent suicide.
“Newry Mourne and Down District has the third highest rate of suicides of the 11 councils in Northern Ireland (behind Belfast and Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon).
“SDZ believes the only acceptable goal for suicide deaths should be zero. The festival we are organising along with many other community partners is one of hope through community action.
“Suicide is preventable but we all need to take responsibility for each other to actively prevent it.”
The latest figures for suicide in Northern Ireland from NISRA show that 219 people died by suicide in 2020, a 7% increase on deaths in 2019. Of those 73% were males and 27% female.
Suicides were highest for men between the ages of 35 and 39 and for females between the ages of 40 and 44. One in every 4 suicides was someone under 30. The figures for Newry Mourne and Down indicate that 24 people took their own life in 2020.
Pat said: “Research from the USA indicates that for every person who dies by suicide an average of 135 people is affected by that loss. These are family members, friends, work colleagues and members of sports and leisure bodies that an individual may have engaged with.
“Members of families who lose a member to suicide are 5 times more likely to die by suicide than other members of the population.”
Pat added: “Much of the work of Suicide Down to Zero focuses on suicide prevention and the desire to see suicide as a `never event.
“We work in partnership with schools, sports bodies and community organisations delivering training through SafeTALK and ASIST workshops.
“The charity Suicide Down To Zero campaigns for greater resources to be spent on suicide prevention. Recently, through freedom of information requests to the local Health Care Trusts, we highlighted the lack of consistent responses to suicide deaths in communities where there was a suicide, that could lead to others.
“The Festival of Hope Through Action across the district will raise awareness of suicide prevention and highlight models of good practice.”
