00:00A leading North West-based charity dedicated to suicide prevention has welcomed the UK Government's latest guidance on suicide prevention education in schools and colleges.
00:12The Three Dads Walken have been campaigning for some time now, so Tim, Andy and Mike, and they've done an absolutely fantastic job campaigning and raising money for suicide prevention.
00:21And they've been successful in that campaign, so in 2026 it is going to be rolled out on the curriculum for suicide prevention to be on the curriculum, which is amazing news, and we've got the amazing Three Dads Walken to thank for that.
00:38This vital initiative, which emphasises a whole school or college approach to promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing, aligned perfectly with the charity's long-standing and successful Suicide Safer School projects.
00:51So we've been working with schools across the North West already to create Suicide Safer Schools, where we're going into the schools and we're giving the skills and tools to the pupils through our phone and engaging assemblies.
01:04Not only do we give the skills and tools to the pupils, but we also train the teachers and the staff of the schools as well in safe talk, which is suicide alertness for everyone.
01:14So I did the school talk, and then after I'd been volunteering for a little bit, I've done the safe talk course, which is suicide alertness for everyone, and then that takes you through all of the talk training, which is tell, ask, listen and keep safe.
01:30The programme tackles common misconceptions about suicide, such as the myth that talking about suicide will plant the idea in someone's mind, and highlights the overarching importance of early intervention.
01:49A lot of people are a bit put off or a little bit scared to actually ask that question, are you thinking about suicide?
01:57But that's often the opener, and that's what gets people talking.
02:02So that's personally probably the most important thing, and the thing I took away from that the most, is to not be afraid of asking that question.
02:11Sometimes pride saves a life, so you've got to do it.
02:14The charity has been a pioneer in this field. The programme's offered to pupils from Year 7 upwards, as well as all schools, staff and teachers.
02:24A unique and engaging element of the project's training is it's Beatrice the Banana, the charity's unofficial mascot.
02:31Beatrice the Banana has got a whole personality of themselves, and the pupils love it.
02:38We want to make it fun and engaging, and it does really, really work.
02:42I love getting to meet the people, and I love being able to, when they come up to you and they tell you how much it's helped, that's a really special feeling,
02:51because you know what you're doing has sort of had an effect, and the money you've raised has gone somewhere good, so that's always a really nice feeling.
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