Families bereaved by suicide will be at the centre of a new support conference planned in Armagh, as ABC Council and local partners step up efforts to raise awareness, promote prevention and connect people with help.
The ‘Hope After Loss’ suicide bereavement support conference is due to take place on October 2 at Armagh City Hotel. It is being organised in partnership with the Southern Protect Life Implementation Group and PIPS Hope and Support.
The event is primarily aimed at families directly bereaved by suicide, but organisers said it will also be open to members of the public and other partners.
Conference part of wider borough-wide programme
Details of the conference were included in a comprehensive report presented to ABC Council’s community and wellbeing committee. The report outlined initiatives and programmes operating across the borough, with mental health and wellbeing identified as a major focus of community development work.
Alison Clenaghan, the council’s community services manager, told councillors that mental health and wellbeing was a “key priority” across several programmes. These include the council’s health inequalities programme, the Policing and Community Safety Partnership, Neighbourhood Renewal and Peace Plus.
She said the work involved partnership activity focused on signposting people towards suicide prevention information and raising awareness. Ms Clenaghan also sits on the Southern Protect Life Implementation Group alongside a range of partner organisations.
“In partnership with the Southern Protect Life Implementation Group and PIPS Hope and Support, we are involved in the organising of a suicide bereavement support conference, and that will be taking place on October 2 in Armagh City Hotel, entitled ‘Hope After Loss’.”
The council report also included useful contacts and support services covering mental health provision and suicide prevention. Councillors were given resources from LifeLine and the ‘Mind Your Head’ website to use and distribute in their communities.
‘Feeling Anxious’ campaign focuses on stress and support
A separate strand of the programme is a month-long mental health campaign called ‘Feeling Anxious’, organised by the Public Health Agency. According to the report, the campaign began on September 10 and focuses particularly on anxiety and stress.
Ms Clenaghan said the campaign was intended to help people check in with themselves, consider techniques they could use and find information about signposting and support when anxiety becomes more than an everyday concern and increased help is needed.
The council’s health inequalities action plan contains several other strands with a specific focus on mental health. The work is being delivered through partnerships and existing community programmes, with the aim of ensuring people know where support is available.
“This is a key area of work,” Ms Clenaghan told the committee. “It continues to be a key priority for us and, where we have the opportunity to work in partnership to address these very important issues, we do so.”
Councillors call for wider community involvement
Committee chair Alliance councillor Robbie Alexander praised what he described as extremely valuable work. Sinn Féin councillor Brona Haughey also thanked council staff and welcomed suicide prevention training being planned and provided by Lord Mayor Mary O’Dowd.
Councillor Haughey said her constituency had been badly affected by suicide and that communities and families appreciated the work. She said she intended to use the resources provided and help spread awareness.
Ulster Unionist councillor Kyle Savage said suicide was an important issue across rural communities and the wider council area. He welcomed the council’s links with local support groups and said it was important that a message of hope reached people throughout the borough.
SDLP councillor Thomas O’Hanlon urged the council to broaden its future engagement by building links with sporting clubs and community organisations. He suggested involving coaches, who may see young people regularly and could notice changes in behaviour or signs that someone needs peer support.
His call was for awareness programmes to reach beyond the existing support network and include organisations that are part of everyday life in local communities.
The planned Armagh conference is therefore one element of a wider programme combining bereavement support, suicide prevention training, mental-health information and partnership work across the borough.