Billy's Lifeline holds launch event in South Shields

A new suicide loss support charity has held its launch event at the Little Haven Hotel in South Shields.

Transcript

00:00 Billy was 51 when he sadly passed to suicide in 2019. It was after that point that the family

00:08 reached out to get support from different services and sometimes people just didn't

00:13 know how to respond to us or where to signpost us to. So in 2020 I went on to do a psychology degree

00:21 once that completed last year. We then went and I seeked further advice and guidance about getting

00:28 a charity registered and the charity's now been set up. It was registered in November,

00:34 November the 8th and the charity itself will provide one-to-one support via telephone or in

00:44 person. It will offer group support, respite and we're able to access therapies for people so that

00:51 they don't have to face the waiting list that other people have to sometimes face. It's a bit

00:56 a sweep because obviously it's come from something quite you know from deep in the heart but I've

01:03 been out there in the community the service is needed and I've had really positive support and

01:09 feedback from the people who we've been supporting so far and to see them people being able to help

01:14 is just that means the world which is why I'm here today doing what I'm doing. I think it's

01:19 fantastic and I love the fact that they all seem to be working together and cooperating and helping

01:25 each other out and signposting each other to the different organisations. To me I mean it was very

01:32 enlightening to find out that it's not just the emotional support that's there but it's the

01:37 practical support and the last thing you're thinking about is packing up somebody's clothes

01:41 who you've just lost to suicide so to me it's a really important thing that they can take that

01:47 burden off them. We do have one of the highest rates of suicide in the country and therefore

01:52 we should have some of the highest rates of support and I think Billy's Lifeline is ideal for doing that.