The Royal Foundation Launches The National Suicide Prevention Network To Transform Suicide Prevention In The UK

Content advisory: this article discusses themes of suicide.

To watch this film in Welsh, click here: https://youtu.be/LxIK1xdbkEA

Today, on World Mental Health Day, The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales launches the National Suicide Prevention Network, spanning all four home nations and aiming to transform suicide prevention in the UK.

Four leading charities – representing England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – join the Network as founding partners, alongside the Hub of Hope, the UK’s largest mental health support directory. Building on progress in the sector to date, the Network will focus on understanding the root causes of suicide, ensuring accessible support and strengthening collaboration to achieve the greatest possible impact.

Backed by over £1 million in funding from The Royal Foundation, over an initial three-year period, the National Suicide Prevention Network aims to deliver lasting change in how suicide is understood and prevented across the four nations. It will improve universal pathways for suicide prevention to ensure that they are evidence-based, effective and accessible to all.

The Network will be chaired by Professor Ann John, a leading expert in the prevention of suicide and self-harm and Consultant in Public Health Medicine for Public Health Wales. The Network’s activity will develop over time and be led by the partners, focused on:

• Understanding and identifying the root causes of suicide
• Providing accessible support for everyone
• Fostering greater collaboration, innovation and action

Preventing suicide is a complex challenge, shaped by social, economic and personal factors, meaning there is no one size fits all model of support. The Network is founded on the hope and belief that, by working together, we can do much more to prevent the 7,055 deaths that are caused by suicide in the UK every year [1]. Located across the UK, organisations are coming together to reach thousands of people who may be impacted by this issue. Building on existing work in the sector, the Network will strengthen support systems, close gaps in access and build cross-sector collaboration, whilst generating the awareness, resources and innovation that is needed.

The Royal Foundation’s investment will support the delivery of vital new projects run by each of the founding partners:

• Jac Lewis Foundation (Wales)
  https://jaclewisfoundation.co.uk/
  As announced on World Suicide Prevention Day in September, and following a visit from Prince William, The Royal Foundation is funding a new drop-in centre, located inside Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. Based on an innovative model, delivered in the heart of local communities, it will provide professional mental health services with the capacity to serve hundreds of people.
• James’ Place (England)
  https://www.jamesplace.org.uk/
  Two new community-based satellite services, supporting men who have reached a crisis point, in the North of England.
• Mikeysline (Scotland)
  https://mikeysline.co.uk/
  A new ‘Hive on the Road’ Transit van, together with a mental health outreach worker, delivering mental health support to remote areas in the Scottish Highlands.
• PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland (Northern Ireland)
  https://pipscharity.com/
  A new 24-hour mental health crisis helpline available across Northern Ireland.

The National Suicide Prevention Network is also working with Hub of Hope, the UK’s largest mental health support directory, which has joined as a founding Network partner.

More than a dozen organisations are also joining the Network as innovation partners. They range from local charities offering crisis support, prevention and postvention services, to those focused on high risk and underrepresented groups. The innovation partners have received seed funding from The Royal Foundation to deliver new projects which serve to address specific areas of need across the sector.

The founding partners have shared their stories and explained the ambition for the Network, in a film produced by The Royal Foundation. Today will also see the release of a film featuring The Prince of Wales visiting the home of Rhian Mannings MBE, the founder and chief executive of the bereavement charity 2wish, whose husband died by suicide. In the film, Rhian shares her experience of loss and grief with The Prince, and they discuss the urgent need for greater support for those at risk of or affected by suicide. 2wish has joined the Network as an innovation partner.

Elizabeth Thomas-Evans, CEO, Jac Lewis Foundation, said:

“From the valleys to the cities, suicide has scarred communities across Wales. Now, thanks to our partnership with The Royal Foundation, anyone who needs help can walk into the Jac Lewis Foundation hub at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff – where we can offer support at a whole new scale. We were delighted to welcome Prince William to the new hub last month and the visit has already had a tangible and powerful effect, with more people seeking urgent support and a rise in engagement across the Swansea community.”

Ellen O’Donoghue, CEO, James’ Place, said:

“James’ Place offers free, life-saving therapy to men in suicidal crisis at centres in Liverpool, London and Newcastle. With the support of The Royal Foundation, we will pilot extending James’ Place’s reach by delivering our intervention from two community-based satellite services in the North-East and North-West of England, helping us to understand and remove some of the barriers men face in accessing support at the point of crisis. As part of the network, we will be able to share valuable insight and learning from this project with partners nationwide.”

Emily Stokes, CEO, Mikeysline, said:

“To cover huge distances in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, Mikeysline launched ‘Hive on the Road’ in 2024 – a Transit van that we can drive to local communities where people are, and meet them one-on-one inside it. Our partnership with The Royal Foundation allows us to buy and staff another much-needed van enabling us to extend our reach even further, and being part of the National Suicide Prevention Network allows us to connect with our colleagues across the UK.”

Renée Quinn, Executive Director, PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland, said:

“Working with communities in Northern Ireland gives PIPS charity unique experience in suicide prevention, and a unique voice to share with our partners in the Network. Our partnership with The Royal Foundation will also allow us to hugely increase our services, funding a 24-hour suicide prevention helpline across Northern Ireland, in order to provide support on Friday nights and weekends when other services are less available.”

The National Suicide Prevention Network will continue to develop to include partners from all corners of society – including business, the arts, entertainment and sport – to support initiatives that are helping people in their communities.

To inform the development of the Network, The Royal Foundation commissioned research across the suicide prevention sector. 20 organisations, academics, experts and sector advocates shared their views on how the sector can best come together.

[1] https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/ documents/CBP-7749/CBP-7749.pdf

Let’s talk

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the Hub of Hope, the UK’s largest mental health support directory: https://hubofhope.co.uk/.

If you are a charity or business and would like to find out more about the ambitious work of the Network, please register your interest here: NSPN@royalfoundation.com