Show support for World Suicide Prevention Day
Residents are urged to take to their bikes or search for treasure to support Suicide Prevention Day on Sunday 10 September.
You can help highlight the importance of mental health by taking part in:
• an interactive family treasure hunt to raise funds for local charity The OLLIE Foundation. It funds suicide intervention training for adults working with young people. Families can work together to locate City hotspots, answer questions and collect photographic evidence to earn vital team points. They will undertake a number of challenges within St Albans. The fun starts at 12 noon at Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, Abbey Mill Lane, St Albans. Tickets, costing £10 for adults and £5 for children, can be booked at www.theolliefoundation.org.
• a 10-mile bike ride as part of the Cycle Around the Globe suicide prevention initiative. The ride sets off at 11am from Mind in Mid Herts Wellbeing Centre, Stevenage SG1 1BP. It is organised by Mind in Mid Herts alongside the Hertfordshire suicide prevention campaign, Spot the Signs and Save a Life. The event will raise money for Mind in Mid Herts to fund resources to support mental health and suicide prevention. Participants can register for £5 to take part by emailing fundraising@mindinmidherts.org.uk. Cycle Around the Globe aims to raise awareness of suicide and to fund essential resources to support suicide prevention by getting people to collectively cycle round the world.
Siobhan Osgood, Senior Project Coordinator of Spot the Signs and Save a Life campaign said: “Regardless of the circumstances surrounding a suicide, communities have an important role to play in supporting those who are vulnerable. World Suicide Prevention Day is an invaluable opportunity to highlight the importance of mental health.”
Cllr Robert Donald, Chair of St Albans Health and Wellbeing Partnership, said: “Show your support for World Suicide Prevention Day by joining the Cycle Around the Globe ride in Stevenage and OLLIE’s interactive treasure hunt in St Albans. These two events aim to raise funds for resources to help prevent suicide.”
There will be a display promoting the events at the offices of St Albans City and District Council from 4 to the 8 September. A sign-up sheet will be available for anyone interested in taking part in the cycle ride.
Cllr Donald added: “Improving the mental health of people in the District is a key priority for our Health and Wellbeing Partnership. We have commissioned a number of projects aimed at achieving this goal. These include an Emotional Wellbeing Programme delivered by Youth Connexions that has resulted in 12 young people obtaining a Royal Society of Public Health accredited qualification. They are now equipped to deliver health messages to fellow students and to direct them to sources of advice and special services. We also agreed at our last meeting to add a new aim about Suicide Prevention in the St Albans District Health and Wellbeing Strategy which we are currently revising.”
Councillor contacts:
Cllr Robert Donald, Chair of St Albans Health and Wellbeing Partnership
Tel: 01727 841647
Email: cllr.r.donald@stalbans.gov.uk
Cllr. Anthony Rowlands, Mental Health Champion for St. Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 839132
Email: cllr.a.rowlands@stalbans.gov.uk
Contact for the media:
Amanda Wilkinson,
Senior Communications Officer
St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 819317
E-mail: amanda.wilkinson@stalbans.gov.uk
www.stalbans.gov.uk
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StAlbansCouncil
Notes:
World Suicide Prevention Day takes place every year on 10 September. It is recognised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention and endorsed by the World Health Organisation. The theme of the 2017 World Suicide Prevention Day is ‘Take a minute, change a life’.
The OLLIE Foundation funds suicide intervention skills training for adults working with young people.
Cycle Around the Globe is organised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention. It aims to raise awareness of suicide and to fund essential resources to support suicide prevention by getting people to collectively cycle round the world.
Spot the Signs and Save a Life is a suicide prevention campaign, helping to remove the stigma of talking openly about suicide. Providing training courses and signposting to mental health services available in Hertfordshire, its vision is to make Hertfordshire a county where no one ever gets to a point where they feel suicide is their only option.
Mind in Mid Herts is an innovative and experienced provider of mental health services in Mid Hertfordshire and has wellbeing centres in St. Albans, Stevenage, Hertford and Welwyn Garden City. It is committed to providing high quality services in prevention, recovery and support services. More information is at: www.mindinmidherts.org.uk
The St Albans Health and Wellbeing Partnership aims to improve the health and wellbeing of every person living in St Albans City and District. It is a partnership that includes St Albans City and District Council, Hertfordshire County Council, Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group and local NHS Trusts. The CVS St Albans and Harpenden Patients Group and voluntary organisations are also members.