The annual World Suicide Prevention Day takes place this weekend – a day where the world comes together to raise awareness of suicide prevention and how to help create a world where fewer people die by suicide. 
There are various event taking place aross West Yorkshire to mark the day, which is held on Sunday September 10th and aims to ‘create hope through action’, by encouraging understanding, reducing stigma and giving people the confidence to take action.
These are the very themes behind our recently-launched Suicide Prevention Champions campaign – so why not sign up to mark World Suicide Prevention Day and join the effort to reduce suicides across West Yorkshire and beyond.
Our campaign aims to recruit a growing cohort of Champions who can learn more about suicide prevention and take action, to raise awareness, challenge stigma and promote suicide prevention at home, in their communities, in work, and online.
Champions can access all the latest suicide prevention news, resources, support services and information to help spread the word.
Becoming a Suicide Prevention Champions takes minutes, signing up via an online form, and involves watching a 20-min film by the Zero Suicide Alliance and making a pledge, big or small, about how you plan to promote suicide prevention and challenge stigma.
The Partnership has set itself an ambition to recruit 281 Champions by the end of the year – one for each of the 281 people whose deaths were registered as suicides in West Yorkshire coroners’ courts in 2021 – and then to keep growing.
To learn more and sign up, visit https://suicidepreventionwestyorkshire.co.uk/becomeachampion.
Other plans/activities taking place across West Yorkshire or online for World Suicide Prevention Day include:
- Bradford City Hall will be lit up yellow on the day
- Keighley Cougars plugged the Check In With Your Mate suicide prevention campaign at their home game on Sunday.
- Bradford Bulls and Bradford City Football Club are also planning to raise awareness of the Check In With Yor Mate campaign at their matches in the run-up to WSPD.
- Pop up stalls: Mind In Bradford have teamed up with local voluntary organisations in Leeds, Bradford and Craven to run a series of pop-up stalls from Sept 9th to 14th – offering info about free mental health support including crisis support, suicide bereavement counselling, support for young people and specialist support from local voluntary organsiations:
- Sat 9th Sept – 10am -2pm- Broadway Shopping Centre
- Sun 10th Sept – 1-3pm – Odsal Stadium, Bradford (York vs Bradford home game)
- Tues 12th Sept – 10am – 2pm – Airedale Shopping Centre, Keighley
- Thurs 14th Sept – 10am – 2pm – Morrisons, Skipton
- Dr Mohinder Kapoor, associate medical director and consultant psychiatrist at South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, has published a blog talking about suicide prevention in British South Asian communities.
- Andy's Man Club branches in Brighouse, Keighley, Batley and Bradford are among 35 nationwide who will be going out, spreading awareness and handing out goodie bags which include a "brew from AMC" along with a biscuit (and other goodies) to replicate their clubs on a Monday night. The charity is also sending out Hallmark cards, designed for Andy's Man Club - eg one says "I love you man" on the front - to all clubs for users to take to either keep themselves or send to someone else.
- Zero Suicide Alliance is holding a train-a-thon on Friday September 8th. Based on their 20-minute training sessions, there are three 1.5hr train-a-thon sessions covering more around suicide awarness and prevention. These will take place at 10-11.30am, 1-2.30pm and 6.30-8pm. Register here.
- Everymind at Work team is hosting a free live-streamed session which provides practical guidance for HR, MHFAs and Champions on how to respond to suicide risk in the worplace. This takes place on Wednesday September 6th at 1pm. Register here to attend.
- Mental Health Online: Suicide Prevention Webinar: Provided by The Mental Health and Wellbeing Show and Ajuda Limited, this webinar takes place on Zoom from 10am to 12pm on September 7th, with speakers including Papyrus and Samaritans. Book via Eventbrite.