A North East charity boss delivered a letter to 10 Downing Street last week calling on new Prime Minister Liz Truss to include suicide prevention in the Government’s Levelling Up agenda.
Matthew Smith founded suicide prevention charity If U Care Share after the devastating loss of his brother Daniel O’Hare who died by suicide 17 years ago.
Last month he set of on an 11-day, 289-mile run from the charity’s Chester-le-Street offices to Downing Street to deliver the letter calling for more action to prevent suicide.
Read more: Shildon mum who lost both kids to suicide calls for urgent action
The letter has been co-signed by representatives from Samaritans, Beyond, Chasing the Stigma, PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide, James’ Place, Harmless, CALM, Rose Paterson Trust, the CSJ Foundation, as well as Matthew on behalf of If U Care Share.
The letter, which was delivered to Downing Street on Wednesday (September 7) says: “As a group of 10 local and national suicide prevention organisations, we are writing to urge you to ensure that suicide prevention is integrated within the Levelling Up agenda.
“Suicide is complex and rarely down to one thing. However, insecure income, unmanageable debt, unemployment, poor housing conditions, and other socio-economic factors all contribute to higher suicide rates.
“People living in the most disadvantaged communities face the highest risk of dying by suicide. According to the ONS, suicide rates for people of working age in the most deprived areas are more than double that of working aged people in the least deprived areas. The North East had the highest suicide rate (13.3. per 100,000) in 2020 in England.
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“We believe that the Levelling Up agenda, your party’s flagship manifesto policy, provides a fantastic opportunity to address this stark regional health inequality and ensure that fewer people die by suicide. And we want to help.
“The work that we and other suicide prevention organisations undertake proves that suicide is preventable and that targeted intervention works. Despite this, at present, there is no mention of suicide prevention in either the Levelling Up Bill or White Paper.
“As the Government refreshes the National Suicide Prevention Plan, and takes action on cost of living, targeted action is needed to address the regional disparities in suicide rates.
“Prime Minister, we urge you to prioritise suicide prevention within the Levelling Up agenda and we would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss this further.”
Due to the media-storm around Liz Truss entering Number 10, access to Downing Street was limited but Matthew was able to meet with House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle to discuss his campaign.
Matthew told The Northern Echo: "The run was extremely challenging and both physically and mentally demanding. The second to last day was really tough for me but I knew I wasn’t running alone, I had the support of everyone at home and the 183 names of loved ones lost to suicide on my t-shirt pushing me onwards.
“The sense of achievement and the welcome I received when I arrived at Downing Street is something I will never forget.
“It was wonderful to meet the Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle. We discussed his time as speaker so far and something I would never wish for our families’ to have in common - a shared experience of suicide.
“Now I have been able to deliver the letter I hope this will start real change within Government and I look forward to receiving a reply from both the Prime Minister and her Levelling Up minister Simon Clarke. But for me, it will never be job done until we see the change that is so desperately needed around suicide prevention within this country."
Smith’s run to Downing Street has raised over £25,000 for the charity.
Campaigning around World Suicide Prevention Day at the weekend was toned down following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday (September 8).
Read the letter in full:
If you are in need of support you can contact the following:
- Samaritans is available, day or night, 365 days of the year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
- If U Care Share on 0191 387 5661 or text IUCS to 85258
- SANE on 07984 967 708, Calm on 0800 58 58 58
- Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust crisis line 0800 0516 171.
Read next:
- Great North Run 2022: Event will go ahead despite Queen's death
- LIVE: The North East mourns the loss of the Queen; updates from the region
- Where you can sign a book of condolence in the North East - full list of places
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