National Suicide Prevention Week 2023

The 10th – 16th of September, 2023 marked this year’s National Suicide Prevention Week. This year, led by student, Zoe Gilpin, the Students’ Union and Wellbeing, Skills and Diversity team used it as an opportunity to raise awareness of suicide, the steps we can take to prevent it, and to help reduce the stigma surrounding it and continue the conversation around mental health and wellbeing which is an important part of everyone’s life.

In Crewe, our Wellbeing team hosted a stall in the Hub with loads of information and sweet treats.

In Buckingham, Tolu and Sharon, went to different buildings around campus, asking students and staff: “How would you support someone who are having thoughts/at risk of suicide?” There were pauses to our question as students & staff took time to think about being in that situation as it is not usually something that we deal with.  Nonetheless, there were many great discussions and contributions made of how they could support.

Talking about suicide, and mental health generally, helps to reduce the stigma surrounding it and creates a safe environment where we can continue the conversation around mental health and wellbeing which is an important part of everyone’s life. Some of the helpful tips we got from students and staff were to:

• Encourage them to talk about how they are feeling
• Listen 
• Let them know that they are not alone and are loved
• Give them a hug
• Signpost them to professional support

There is support on campus, out of hours student support & external helplines available.

• Wellbeing Skills & Diversity -    WSD@buckingham.ac.uk
• Instagram; (wellbeing_uob) (wellbeing_uobcrewe)
• Out of hours support               -     0800 028 3766
• The Samaritans                       -    116 123