A council has commissioned a leading mental health support charity to deliver suicide prevention training across County Durham over the next three years.
Delivered by If U Care Share Foundation, commissioned by Durham County Council, the initiative marks a significant step forward in the local authority’s commitment to tackling suicide and supporting mental health.
The programme will deliver tailored training to professionals, community leaders, and frontline workers across the county, equipping them with the skills and confidence to identify when someone might need support.
Ensuring it is accessible, relevant and impactful, the training will be delivered in partnership with local communities and respond to local needs. The goal is to empower people with the tools to have open conversations about mental health and suicide, helping to save lives and reduce stigma.
Training will be flexible and bespoke based on different professions, while for residents it will consist of more relaxed one-hour discussions expanding to more detailed, half day, courses. The sessions will be delivered by trained experts with lived experience of suicide.
It forms part of the council’s wider strategy to prevent suicide and promote mental wellbeing across the county.
Cllr Howard Brown, Durham County Council Cabinet member for adult and health services, said: “We are pleased to be working with If U Care Share to deliver this vital suicide prevention training. Suicide has touched many people’s lives and is a deeply personal issue.
“Sometimes, a simple conversation, a kind word, or a check in can go a long way to pause suicidal thoughts and offer a moment of hope to someone struggling. This training will help equip our communities with the skills that they need to help people get the right support that they deserve.”
The training can be accessed on the If U Care Share website at www.ifucareshare.co.uk.
David Brown, head of training and development at If U Care Share, said: “We are pleased to be working with Durham County Council over the next three years. Suicide prevention is everyone’s responsibility, and through this training, we aim to empower people with the tools they need to make a real difference.
“We know the power of communities in preventing suicide, and this funding will enable us to support them to have lifesaving, culture changing conversations. We believe suicide prevention is everyone’s business, but to make that a reality, people need support and training.”
If U Care Share was established in 2005 by the family of Daniel O’Hare from Great Lumley in County Durham who took his own life unexpectedly at the age of 19.
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
