Reach Out; Start to End Suicide is a campaign dedicated to the prevention of suicide, run by START, a mental health charity in Salford.

Location: Salford, Greater Manchester

The organisation offers therapeutic creative initiatives to the local community and has developed innovative interventions to engage with the Salford community and provide support and hope to those directly affected by suicide.

Reach Out; Start to End Suicide has maximised its impact through its innovation and by engaging the community to get involved in the initiatives. This has included a vigil of remembrance and ‘Sea of Hands of Support’, a participatory arts installation that has amassed 2,000 pledges of support, on yellow cut out hands, for those experiencing suicidal thoughts now and in the future, with 3,000+ conversations that smashed suicide associated stigma, contributing to a community that enables people to discuss suicide and disclose when they are experiencing suicidal thoughts. 97% of those who engaged with ‘Sea of Hands of Support’ reported increased awareness of suicide prevention.

The group also initiated ‘Surviving Suicide; voices of suicide & attempt survivors’ project which saw participants communicating their lived experiences through creative arts that helped change the culture surrounding suicide and to preserve and promote life through compassion and understanding. Through the empowering and supporting those with lived experience within this project we enabled the sharing of their experiences with a view to preventing lives being lost to suicide. The artworks on are touring Salford as educational and engagement tools accessible to all Salford residents.

The projects have helped to raise awareness, improve community attitudes and increase public dialogue on suicide and has ensured residents feel less isolated and more connected to their community

Dennis Baldwin, Reach Out Start to End Suicide Project Manager said:

To be recognised by Groundwork UK in this way is incredible. We are a local charity working with local people to save local people losing their lives to suicide. It has given us the chance to reflect on what we have achieved and to be acknowledge nationally for our work makes us incredibly proud and drives us on to reach our goal of suicide not being an option for anyone.