One Year On: How The Royal Foundation is strengthening suicide prevention support in the UK

Content advisory: this article discusses themes of suicide.

Last World Mental Health Day, The Prince of Wales joined Rhian Mannings MBE – who lost her husband to suicide – in a powerful film to mark the launch of The Royal Foundation’s National Suicide Prevention Network.

One year on, the Network is helping drive a more connected and impactful approach to suicide prevention across the four nations, testing new approaches, sharing insights and expanding access to life-saving support. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the UK for young people and men under 50.

Since its launch, the Network funding has enabled its partners to support more than 500 people who sought help across the UK. More than 3,000 individual interventions have already been delivered, ranging from helpline calls and one-to-one counselling to peer support groups.

Last month, the first year of the Network culminated in the launch of the suicide prevention toolkit ‘On Your Side’. Harnessing the power of sport as a force for connection, alongside the convening power of Their Royal Highnesses, the toolkit aims to equip the sports sector with the knowledge, confidence and practical tools needed to support those at risk of suicide.

The launch drove a national conversation around the importance of checking in with those around us. Over 20 organisations have already signed up as ‘On Your Side’ champions, committing to embed the guidance in their organisations.

An accompanying film, featuring leading figures from across sport, has been played at national and international sporting fixtures across the country. So far, the film has been played to over 100,000 sports fans at major venues including the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham and the CorpAcq Stadium – the home of Sale Sharks – with more showings planned in the coming weeks.

The first year of the National Suicide Prevention Network demonstrates the value of collective action. Work currently being supported by The Royal Foundation across the four nations includes:

• England: Two new satellite services are now operational in Darlington and St Helens, run by James’ Place and have so far supported 75 men in suicidal crisis.
• Northern Ireland: PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland has introduced a new Weekend Crisis Hopeline service on a Friday and Sunday night to support those in crisis and in need of out-of-hours support across Northern Ireland.
• Scotland: Mikeysline has launched a new ‘Hive on the Road’, a mobile outreach van which offers face-to-face support to those living in remote areas of the Scottish Highlands who might not otherwise engage with traditional mental health services. So far, the Hive has supported 65 people across these communities and reached over 1,300 people through local engagement events.
• Wales: The Jac Lewis Foundation has opened a weekly mental health hub in the home of Welsh Rugby – the Principality Stadium, Cardiff. Since opening last September, the hub has supported over 250 people in need of help – more than 80% of whom were men. Through the Cardiff Hub Project, they have also supported over 100 men through community rugby club workshops in partnership with the Welsh Rugby Union.

Beyond supporting frontline delivery, the National Suicide Prevention Network is also helping to build collaborative partnerships and develop further new resources that will strengthen support for people across the UK. These include:

• Yellow Wellies, a charity aiming to change attitudes and behaviours around mental health in farming, has launched a tailored eLearning resource addressing suicide awareness and prevention for rural farming communities. Supported by funding from The Royal Foundation, over 220 learners have already taken part in the training and partnerships with the education sector means that the tool will become available to agriculture students across the country.
• MindOut’s Safe Haven project, which works with LGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness in East Sussex to better understand the links between homelessness, mental health and suicide risk, helping to identify recommendations for improving support and suicide prevention
• Suicide&Co, which in October last year launched its Early Bereavement Support Programme (EBSP), offering emotional support to those in the first six months of bereavement. Since the programme’s full launch last October, the programme has made over 3,100 calls to over 500 people bereaved by suicide.

Following the progress made this year by the Network, Rhian Manning MBE comments:

“This year has shown just how powerful it can be when leadership, compassion and collaboration come together. The Royal Foundation’s National Suicide Prevention Network, is helping to break down stigma and build a future where people feel able to reach out, speak up and find support. Prince William is helping to give us all a voice, and he does so with such genuine care and compassion.

“By listening, learning, and bringing people together, we can do more to prevent suicide and support those whose lives have been forever changed by it.”

Mental health and wellbeing runs through many of The Royal Foundation’s programmes. By equipping people with practical support that they can access when and where they need it, The Royal Foundation aims to help people look after their mental health and build stronger communities across the UK.

Homewards – The Royal Foundation’s programme to demonstrate that it is possible to prevent homelessness – recognises the close relationship between homelessness and mental wellbeing, supporting efforts to ensure people can access the practical and emotional support they need to rebuild their lives.

Meanwhile, The Royal Foundation’s Centre for Early Childhood is funding an innovative new pilot, Happy Little Minds, to better understand how mental health experts in early education settings can support babies and young children’s social and emotional development.

Additionally, United for Wildlife supports nature’s defenders on land and sea who often face significant psychological pressures in the face of danger while protecting vulnerable species and communities.

Partners of the National Suicide Prevention Network, which is chaired by Professor Ann John, Professor of Public Health and Psychiatry at Swansea University, include: Baton of Hope, BAYO, Brave Mind, Chasing the Stigma, Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies)Jac Lewis Foundation, James’ Place, Mates in Mind, Mikeysline, MindOut, Molly Rose Foundation,National Suicide Prevention Alliance, PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland, Ripple,

Suicide&Co, Support After Suicide Partnership, The Jordan Legacy and 2wish.

Anyone affected by any of the issues raised here can find information and support at the Hub of Hope, the UK’s largest mental health support directory: https://hubofhope.co.uk