A CHARITY set up to prevent suicide and support those left behind is moving to bigger premises.

The If U Care Share Foundation, founded by Shirley Smith after her 19-year-old son Daniel O’Hare took his own life, has been operating from a room in Great Lumley Community Centre, near Chester-le-Street in County Durham.

It has now been given planning permission to move to a former Durham County Council day centre, near the primary school, on The Green in Nettlesworth.

Artist Grayson Perry spoke to a family the charity has supported as part his recent documentary about modern masculinity and last month, the foundation's Inside Out campaign won a Sheila McKechnie Foundation Health Award for raising awareness of the issues surrounding suicide.

Foundation chairman Dean Smith, who is also one of the founders of the charity, addressed members of the planning committee at a recent meeting at Country Hall in Durham.

He said: “Unfortunately, the need and demand for our work has expanded quite dramatically over the last few years, which has seen us outgrow the space available to us in the community centre.

“The North-East has the highest rate of deaths by suicide nationally and, unfortunately, in the county of Durham it is also one of the highest rates nationally as well.

“It is an unfortunate statistic for us and hence the reason our work has grown. “We have had a desire for some time to find out our own premises to allow us to expand the work we do.”

The development was backed unanimously and councillors were keen to show their support for the work of the charity.

Councillor Alan Shield said: “I wholeheartedly endorse this.”

Ms Smith said: “We firmly believe breaking the stigma surrounding suicide is essential and key to preventing further deaths.

“Suicide turns lives inside out, as ours did, and more people need to be are that suicide is not inevitable, it is preventable.”

In March, Ms Smith was awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust fellowship award to allow her to travel to the United States and United Arab Emirates to further research specialist support for persons bereaved by suicide.

The foundation is giving a one day Suicide Training On Prevention (STOP) course at Consett AFC’s Belle Vue Stadium at Delves Lane Consett on June 28 from 9am-5pm. To find out more email: allison@ifucareshare.co.uk

To contact the If U Care Share Foundation, call: 0191-387-5661.