7 steps towards a suicide safer business and community

Grassroots Suicide Prevention explains why everyone in Sussex needs to be aware of its work.

Sussex consistently has amongst the highest rates of suicide in England. On average 186 people die by suicide in Sussex each year. This is 20% higher than the national average and rates are on the increase amongst those aged 10 – 24.  Every suicide is a tragedy which has a devastating and long-lasting impact on families, colleagues and the whole community. The financial impact when a person dies by suicide is estimated at £1.8 million.

So, what can businesses do to make a difference?

1. Offer training that will help your colleagues to look out for risk factors, understand myths and spot signs that someone is at risk, as well as gaining the knowledge and skills to support someone who is in crisis.

2. Join our Champions programme. We are encouraging every organisation to have a suicide prevention champion so we can start to build a suicide safer community in Sussex. 

3. Download our pioneering and award-winning suicide prevention app, Stay Alive onto all your work devices. It’s free to download, available in 14 different languages, and includes life-saving tools and resources for those at risk and people supporting them.

4. Review your well-being or mental health policies in relation to suicide. We can provide specialist advice regarding your policies in relation to suicide.

5. Partner with us on an awareness campaign to help end the stigma around reaching out for help.

6. Become a corporate partner and help raise funds so we can continue building the range of support we offer.

7. Ask your staff to volunteer or fundraise. You could use your knowledge and skills to support the work we do, get involved in organising a fundraising event, or perhaps participate in one of our challenge events!

Grassroots Suicide Prevention is a Sussex-based charity, founded in 2006. We empower people to help save lives from suicide through connecting, educating, and campaigning. We need your help to create a suicide safer community in Sussex.

If you can support our work then we would love to hear from you. Please contact Carrie, to discuss ways we can work with you on carrie@prevent-suicide.org.uk

If you are struggling yourself or worried about someone else then you can find crisis resources at www.stayalive.app or call our friends at the Samaritans on 116 123.