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March 2023 

Welcome to the March 2023 Suicide Prevention Newsletter for Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES). 

This newsletter has been created to keep you informed of suicide prevention work that is happening in B&NES and update you  on forthcoming events and training opportunities. A theme will be introduced for each newsletter and the focus of this edition is the 'benefits of nature and physical activity'.

Please cascade within your networks and wider for shared awareness. To subscribe for future newsletters or access archived newsletters press the 'subscribe' button above.

If you would like more information about the content of this newsletter or if you would like to contribute to future editions, please get in touch by emailing suicide_prevention@bathnes.gov.uk 

Disclaimer: If you find any of this content upsetting or distressing please call Samaritans 116 123 for free or talk to a professional or a person you trust.

In This Newsletter:
1. Staff update
2. Latest news
3. The benefits of nature and physical activity
4. Training 

5. Tools
Staff Update 

This newsletter has been produced by myself, Jenny Mistry. I am the new Health Improvement Officer in B&NES Public Health and will be focussing on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in my portfolio area. If you would like to get in touch, please feel free to contact me: Jenny_Mistry@bathnes.gov.uk 

Latest News


Bath Mind Service Brochure 22-23 - Take a look at Bath Mind's guide of Mental Health and Wellbeing Services in Bath and North East Somerset.
 

The Samaritans relaunched their Small Talk Saves Lives Campaign as part of a wider public awareness campaign, to ensure that suicide prevention is everyone’s business. More information can be found on the Samaritans website. 
 


Update from Bath Samaritans- Locally, the Samaritans have broadened their outreach to include schools, colleges and our universities, including supporting the Bath Spa Uni Mental Health Day. They are also supporting two local foodbanks, one in Trowbridge and the other in Bath with monthly visits to both, to be available to foodbank users and to those attending community lunches, as part of their listening and suicide prevention work. 

A big focus for the coming year is  equity, diversity and inclusion. The Samaritans are keen to reach out to any groups in the community to increase the support they offer to those who may be unaware of their services - either through training, listening support or general awareness.  If you would like to volunteer to support the community either in person, via telephone or offering any skills you may have, please contact Bath@samaritans.org
 

International Women's Day- The 8th March marked International Women's Day. This year's theme was "Embrace Equity". Women specifically are disproportionately affected with rates of suicide ideations and suicidal attempts being higher among women than men – though men are more likely to die by suicide. To prevent suicide, we need to ensure that everyone has access to the support and resources they need to thrive. You can read more about suicide and women in particular on Papyrus's webpage
 

Sociodemographic inequalities in suicides in England and Wales 2011-2021- Every death from suicide is a tragedy, and behind every statistic is an individual, a family or community devastated by their loss. The ONS have recently produced analysis estimating the rates of suicide by sociodemographic characteristics to understand which groups of people are at the highest risk.

Until now, the ONS had only been releasing suicide rates broken down by sex and age group using death registrations data, however this work was limited and does not allow for further breakdowns. This new data allows to break it down to more information such as ethnicity, partnership status, disability status, socioeconomic status, religion and armed forces status.

The results show the highest rates of suicide were in disabled men aged 40-50 years old. Overall the rates were lower in women compared to men. 
 

Creating hope in suicide prevention: a collection of responses for World Suicide prevention Day Virtual Board can be found here.
 

Boys in Mind- video showcase- As a teenager Will attempted to take his life several times. In Will's story he talks about how he came to feel so low, how important talking is and what else he does now to keep himself well.  He also talks about how his relationship has changed with his father Jim.  Through sharing his story for Boys in Mind he hopes that other boys and young men who are struggling will find the strength to ask for help.
 

Mental Health Awareness Week is coming up soon (15th-21st May) and the theme for 2023 is anxiety, one of the most common mental health problems we can face. We'd love your involvement throughout the week. Here are some ideas:
  • Contribute your experiences of anxiety to Bath Mind’s blog page
  • Start a fundraiser 
  • Support Wear it Green Day on the 18th May. 
Bath Mind's opening hours


The Benefits of Nature and Physical Activity 

As we approach longer daylight hours in the evenings and our spring/ summer months, It's important to remember the benefits of getting outdoors to help improve our mental health. 

In this section, we will be looking at opportunities and recommendations to make the most of these changes and essentially see improvements in our mental health and wellbeing as a result. These can be shared as part of your ongoing work to support individuals. 
 

Kick off 2023 with a challenge?

Want to try something different to try and fight your mental illness and have a stronger immune system? Then have a go at the Wim Hof Method!

The Wim Hof Method is a combination of cold exposure therapy and Breathing techniques. There are many benefits, to name a few: decreased anxiety/stress and depression, increased willpower, concentration, energy, boosted immune system, better sleep, natural anti– inflammatory, increased metabolism and lower blood pressure/ heart rate. Wim Hof Recovered from the darkness of losing his wife to suicide with this method. This method might not work for everyone, but if 10 minutes of breathing exercises and 2 minutes of cold water can be life changing, it could be worth a try! 

Keynsham Snap and Stroll


A local wellbeing photography group meeting face-to-face in a small group in and around Keynsham. The group offers opportunities to meet others, discover new ways of seeing surroundings, learn skills in photography and explore the local area. Bring a camera of any sort, and an open mind to meet new people and enjoy time snapping and strolling. When: Tuesday 10am–12pm. In order to register interest, you can complete the referral form on Bath Mind's site.
Wellbeing Walks

Short, gentle walks led by volunteers from Bath Mind and Bathscape. A relaxed and friendly social space to meet new people, get some fresh air and enjoy nature.

Thursdays 11am- Monksdale Road Allotment Car Park (BA2 2JD)
Contact: info@bathscape.co.uk Text: 0781 664 1745 (Lucy)
Greenlinks

Greenlinks is a community support group offering people with mental and physical health issues the opportunity to engage in gardening activities linked to 5 Ways to Wellbeing (Connect, Learn, Be Active, Give and Take Notice). Greenlinks provides an opportunity for people to stay in touch with nature, meeting on our allotments at Monksdale Road and Ammerdown Estate.

Monksdale Road Allotments Tuesday 11.30am-2.30pm Thursday 10am-1pm
The Potting Shed (Ammerdown) Wednesday 10.30am-1pm

Email: greenlinks@bathmind.org.uk Telephone: 0794 623 3146
Roots to Wellbeing

Just 15 minutes in nature improves our mental wellbeing. Roots to Wellbeing is a weekly programme of outdoors wellbeing activities in parks for anybody struggling with their mental health, feeling lonely, anxious or isolated. Taking place every Tuesday (12:30pm- 2:30pm) at Brickfields Park, Bath.

You can make a referral as a healthcare professional or take the opportunity to self refer here
Bath Skyline Park Run

A free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate – it's up to you! 

It takes place every Saturday at 9am. Register here

Training

Zero Suicide Alliance – Suicide Awareness Training Join ZSA’s 20-minute suicide awareness training where you will gain the skills and confidence to help someone who may be considering suicide (free).

We need to talk about suicide - Health Education England The learning is specifically aimed at making sure that everyone in contact with the public, in whatever role, knows how to spot any signs of mental distress and feel comfortable in talking about suicide.

Talking About suicide: Ten tools - online training- Tuesday 28th March 2023 In just 90 minutes, learn ten tools and develop confidence to start a conversation with someone you're worried about. You could save their life (donations).

National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health- Wednesday 26th April 2023 - virtual conference presenting the latest UK-wide findings relating to people who died by suicide between 2010 and 2020

Bath Mind Mental Health First Aid training- New April Dates  Become a Mental Health First Aider and attend Bath minds online course. The online MHFA is broken down into 4 live sessions with independent learning. New dates have been added for April. (£325 per person)

Bath Mind - Suicide First Aid training- Tuesday 2nd May 2023 The course focuses on teaching the theory and practice of suicide intervention skills that can be applied in any professional or personal setting (£163 per person).

Bath Mind- Mental Health First Aid refresh course- Tuesday 13th June 2023 - This course is suitable for anyone who has become MHFA qualified 2-3 years ago and requires a refresher. (£150 per person)

Child Bereavement UK Bereavement by suicide- Friday 5th May 2023 - Supporting children, young people and families. A 3-hour interactive online workshop will consider the challenges associated with supporting children and young people bereaved by suicide- multiple dates (£45 per person).

Tools

  1. Cool2talk NHS website for young people aged between 12 and 25 years old. a safe, confidential space for young people to ask about anything that might be worrying them.
  2. Switchboard LGBTQ+ helpline A one-stop listening service for LGBTIQ+ people.
  3. R;pple Effect Newsletter. R;pple is an interceptive tool designed to present a visual prompt when a person searches for harmful keywords or phrases relating to the topic of self-harm or suicide. The online tool aims to reduce exposure to potentially harmful online content. Get updates all things R;pple by signing up to the monthly newsletter.
  4. Zero Suicide Alliance. The Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA) Resources website supports individuals, communities and organisations to meet people’s mental health needs before, during and after experiencing crisis – to ultimately prevent suicide in UK and beyond. Sign up to receive ZSA resources here.
  5.  Boys in Mind (Girls Mind Too) is a  B&NES based movement, set up as an outcome from the previous B&NES Suicide Prevention Strategy.  Now run by young people themselves, Boys in Mind work hard to support the mental health and wellbeing of boys and young men including through the development of films, work in schools, blogs and podcasts.
  6. The Stay Alive app is a pocket suicide prevention resource for the UK, packed full of useful information to help you stay safe. You can use it if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide.
  7. Making suicide part of the everyday conversation, HOPECAST is a podcast from UK charity, PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide. By talking openly and honestly with a range of guests about suicide, mental health and emotional wellbeing, HOPECAST is smashing the stigma around suicide one conversation at a time.
  8. Bath Mind Breathing Space offers a calm, non-clinical service, supporting individuals experiencing or at risk of a mental health crisis.  Email: breathingspace@bathmind.org.uk or call: 0808 175 1369. Lines are open 365 days a year between 5:30pm – 11:00pm.
  9. The Beside Project provides emotional and practical support to any individual living in B&NES who has recently may have a lost a family member or next of kin to suicide. Email beside.project@nhs.net or call 0117 909 6630
  10. Survivors Of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) have self-help support groups across the UK, where you can meet with other people who have been bereaved by suicide.  They provide an opportunity to listen, to share, to ask questions and to connect with others. To join the Bath SOBS group email: bath@uksobs.org Website: www.uksobs.org/groups/bath-group
  11. HarmLESS. – an Online information site about self-harm for B&NES professionals working with young people 11 -18 Includes an online assessment tool. Provided by B&NES CAMHS Service
Best Mental Health Apps of 2023
If you have anything you would like to share in the quarterly suicide prevention newsletter, or would like to contribute to future newsletters, please get in touch using our email address below.

Our mailing address is:
suicide_prevention@bathnes.gov.uk 

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Find out more about the B&NES action plan and where you can access suicide prevention and bereavement resources, support, and training (including free online training by visiting: 
https://livewell.bathnes.gov.uk/supporting-adults-live-independent-lives/health-and-wellbeing/bnes-suicide-prevention 






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B&NES Suicide Prevention Partnership · Keynsham Civic Centre · Market Walk, Keynsham · Bristol, Avon BS31 1FS · United Kingdom

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