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Charity's suicide strategy lobby | Charity's suicide strategy lobby |
(about 3 hours later) | |
The Samaritans are hoping to use their expertise to influence the development of the Welsh Assembly Government's national suicide prevention strategy. | |
Representatives of the charity are spending the day talking to AMs at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay about their work. | |
The event has been sponsored by Bridgend AM Carwyn Jones. | The event has been sponsored by Bridgend AM Carwyn Jones. |
The suicide strategy was proposed after 17 young people from his constituency apparently took their own lives in just over a year. | The suicide strategy was proposed after 17 young people from his constituency apparently took their own lives in just over a year. |
It is currently being devised by the assembly government. | It is currently being devised by the assembly government. |
Paul Stockton, the Samaritans' regional representative for Wales, said: "Positive steps have been made so far and the assembly has moved quickly. | |
"It is now important that they allocate sufficient resources to this issue on an ongoing basis to address this key concern." | "It is now important that they allocate sufficient resources to this issue on an ongoing basis to address this key concern." |
There should be consultation with local groups about what should happen in their communities Darren Matthews, Bridgend Samaritans | There should be consultation with local groups about what should happen in their communities Darren Matthews, Bridgend Samaritans |
The charity will run lunchtime sessions at the Senedd, such as suicide and the media and Samaritans schools' programme Developing Emotional Awareness and Learning (DEAL). | The charity will run lunchtime sessions at the Senedd, such as suicide and the media and Samaritans schools' programme Developing Emotional Awareness and Learning (DEAL). |
It will also show its suicide and self-harm response kit which the charity is developing to help schools cope with the immediate aftermath of a suicide death, and with subsequent anniversaries. | It will also show its suicide and self-harm response kit which the charity is developing to help schools cope with the immediate aftermath of a suicide death, and with subsequent anniversaries. |
Bridgend came under the spotlight after it emerged 17 young people killed themselves in the county between January 2007 and February this year. | Bridgend came under the spotlight after it emerged 17 young people killed themselves in the county between January 2007 and February this year. |
However, police have ruled out any suggestion of suicide pacts between any of the young people, and Bridgend coroner Philip Walters has repeatedly said there was nothing to link the deaths. | However, police have ruled out any suggestion of suicide pacts between any of the young people, and Bridgend coroner Philip Walters has repeatedly said there was nothing to link the deaths. |
Darren Matthews, director of the Bridgend Samaritans branch, said the strategy must be given the importance necessary for it to succeed. | Darren Matthews, director of the Bridgend Samaritans branch, said the strategy must be given the importance necessary for it to succeed. |
"It needs to be driven from the very top of the Welsh assembly by First Minister Rhodri Morgan," he told the BBC Wales news website. | |
"It's very important that it's community focused. | "It's very important that it's community focused. |
FOR HELP Samaritans 08457 909090Childline 0800 1111Papyrus, specialists in preventing young suicide 01978 367333 | FOR HELP Samaritans 08457 909090Childline 0800 1111Papyrus, specialists in preventing young suicide 01978 367333 |
"It's a strategy for Wales but it needs to be implemented and delivered on a local level so there should be consultation with local groups about what should happen in their communities. | "It's a strategy for Wales but it needs to be implemented and delivered on a local level so there should be consultation with local groups about what should happen in their communities. |
"We need to have increased investment similar to that for [Scottish suicide prevention strategy] Choose Life." | "We need to have increased investment similar to that for [Scottish suicide prevention strategy] Choose Life." |
He said it was important not to target just one group of people, saying that while deaths among young people were in the news at the moment and were a particular issue in Bridgend at present, suicide was just as big a problem among older people. | |
Mr Matthews hopes the resources the Samaritans have already developed, such as the DEAL programme, will be more widely used as a result of the strategy. | Mr Matthews hopes the resources the Samaritans have already developed, such as the DEAL programme, will be more widely used as a result of the strategy. |
"It equips 14-16-year-olds emotionally to deal with the knocks that life can throw up," he said. | "It equips 14-16-year-olds emotionally to deal with the knocks that life can throw up," he said. |
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