Community groups and residents got together to walk from Emirates Old Trafford to Salford Quays and back with organisers from Trafford Council and Lancashire Cricket Foundation, as part of Greater Manchester’s Month of Hope.
The walkers were raising awareness of suicide prevention and mental health matters, making new connections and sparking conversation as well as enjoying a cuppa back at the cricket ground.
Month of Hope is part of the Shining a Light on Suicide Campaign, which aims to bring the issue of suicide out of the dark and break the stigma that surrounds it. This follows research which shows that talking honestly about suicide helps save lives.
Walkers included Kasia Halani, founder of Jak’s World charity, who lost her son Jakub, aged 19, to a sudden, unexpected death of suicide in February 2023. She also was joined by friends and supporters.
Kasia said: “For me, it’s important to have opportunities like this for grieving parents to come together and show support. Just by being there, further down the line of grief than I am, brings me hope that maybe I can also survive this enormous pain.
“Jak’s World Charity is based at Ordsall. We’re running support groups every Wednesday for anyone who wants to connect with others and try to learn some holistic ways of coping with whatever is going on for them in life. We also provide practical support.”
Three Dads Walking suicide awareness campaigner Mike Palmer, who tragically lost his daughter in lockdown, said: “You can’t underestimate the importance of coming together and raising awareness like this. We have to talk about it and we have to smash the stigma around suicide.
“It lets people talk, it lets people reach out for help and process their grief. I’ve met people who have been bereaved for decades and not been able to talk about it and get through it.”
Trevor Dwyer-Lynch who founded The Exclusive Club That Dads Don’t Wanna Belong To podcast after losing his son to suicide, said: “Events like this are very important for bringing awareness.
“It’s a great thing to get together, it’s bittersweet. I’m a grieving dad. Dads don’t talk, men can be stoic. If you can get one bloke talking about how they’re feeling, it can help.
“You are coming to express your experiences with people who are in the same boat. People talk about their loss and how they cope with it, or don’t cope with it. It’s a safe space.”
Gina, a support worker at Bluesci, added: “It’s good to have a walk and talk, it’s fresh air and a conversation maybe even with a stranger can really work. It was lovely.
“At Bluesci we have four different centres. People can walk in the door and ask for help. There are activities to take part in from painting to banjo playing to bingo, or just have a chat to somebody.”
Volunteer coordinator for young suicide prevention charity Papyrus, Fiona Bond, said: “Events like this help people to connect with people and hear their stories and spread hope that there is support out there.”
Now in its sixth year, events are taking place across Trafford during the month which started on World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 and ends on World Mental Health Day on October 10.
Trafford Council is also encouraging residents to take up free training that could help themselves and others, including e-learning on helping others from the Shining a Light on Suicide website.
Cllr Jane Slater, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy, Independent Lives, and chair of the Suicide Prevention Partnership Board said: “It was really important to be out to show people that the Council takes suicide prevention very seriously.”
Cllr Joanne Harding, Executive Member for Finance, who has worked with the Local Government Association on suicide prevention at a national level, added: “Events like this normalise suicide prevention because just one suicide is one too many. In Trafford we’ve done some amazing work, sharing training with the public. It’s everyone’s business. It’s OK to raise the subject.”
In Trafford, there are on average 15 people per year who die by suicide. Help is available to anyone who is feeling anxious and worried about themselves or someone else, or for those bereaved by suicide. The Samaritans are available any time on 116123 and Greater Manchester Bereavement Service can be reached on 0161 983 0902.
