Suicide charity planning £350,000 centre of excellence

A suicide awareness charity is to build a £350,000 centre of excellence, it has been revealed.

The Public Initiative for the Prevention of Suicde and Self-Harm (PIPS) will be expanding its premises, and launching a hard hitting DVD ‘Suicide is Everybody’s Business’ which will feature those who have been directly affected by suicide.

A website has also been set up to allow the public to give financial support to the new venture.

Des Rice, who formulated the idea for the website, said: “PIPS does not charge for its services and depends on both public funds and donations from businesses and other sponsorship to be able to provide this valuable and much needed service.

He added: "The web-site, www.funds4pips.com, will enable donations, large and small, to go directly to support PIPS and make a difference to people, communities and lives."

A total of 291 people in Northern Ireland committed suicide, more than people who were killed in road accidents.

Since PIPS was established in 2003 it has supported a large number of people who have been affected by suicide, self-harm or mental health related issues.

Co-ordinator for the charity, Jo Murphy, said she hoped the video would help highlight the issue. She said: “We will be using this as a tool to generate discussion, going into schools, youth work settings and community settings,” she said.

“There’s a play on it and there’s also people, family members, who have lost loved ones saying about the devastation that is left behind within families.”

PIPS is based in north Belfast, however it will provide help and assistance to other PIPS groups across the country.

(JM/KMcA)