28 May Stories nearly cut short offer a ray of hope

Everyone has a story to tell, and as I discover nearly every week on the Volunteer Show on Riviera FM, some stories can move me to tears.

Every Tuesday between 10 am and 1 pm, I invite someone into the studio to discuss their organisation and normally, the volunteers without whom they would be unable to function.

People are endlessly fascinating, and the majority have no idea just how admirable their contributions are and how their openness can inspire others.

The people I have the privilege to chat with on the show are endlessly fascinating,  dedicated and often driven in a way that is above and beyond the average, and I am often left wondering how we would manage without people like them.

I am never disappointed, and despite the nervousness of my guests as they enter the studio, the conversation flows and the designated hour passes in what feels like minutes.

Gary and Karen (from New Footings Ministries) and Salvatore, Karen’s medical-alert dog

Only last week, I was lucky enough to chat with Karen, who came into the studio to talk about her decision to become a baton bearer in the Baton of Hope suicide prevention initiative, which takes place in Torbay at the end of September.

She is one of more than 100 people from the Bay, all either suicide survivors or people who have been bereaved by suicide, who will be carrying the baton in a relay from Torquay to Paignton to Brixham and back to Torquay for a finale event on Tuesday, September 30^th.

A few months ago, I shared my own near miss with suicide following the death of my wife, Carole, and the response was astonishing, with many describing me as brave. Thank you, but that is really not the point. We need to talk about suicide, and we need to talk about mental health.

I only got as far as planning my suicide before being pulled back from the brink by kind, loving and understanding friends and relatives, and I count myself blessed.

But for Karen, she got as far as walking into the sea at Abbey Sands before she was literally pulled out of the waves by a complete stranger who happened to be on the beach that day.

Karen described on the show in vivid and honest detail what had driven her to that point in September 2023 – a combination of unrelated events that came together to have a catastrophic impact on her mental health to the extent that she could no longer see the point of living.

David and his late wife, Carole, who sadly passed in 2022

Thank goodness that the man we now know to be called Brian had the foresight to recognise all the signs and to pluck her out of the water with the words ‘tomorrow will be a better day.’

Karen will be walking her leg of the route to raise awareness not just of suicide prevention charities, but also the Paignton-based New Footings Ministries, who were on hand when she needed it most. What is more, when she has done her baton bit, she has volunteered to marshal the other walkers.

Even as Karen and I chatted, someone called Tina contacted the show to reveal that she had come close to suicide after a relationship breakdown and a period of homelessness. She, too, has signed up as a baton bearer.

More than 7,000 people a year die by suicide in this country every year and here in the Bay, an average of 20 people, 75% of men, here in Torbay, which is above the national average.

That makes suicide everyone’s business.

A staggering one in 15 people will attempt suicide at some point, and one in five experience thoughts of suicide. For each person who dies by suicide, an estimated 135 people are impacted by it.

The Baton of Hope and people like Karen who are talking about suicide represent an opportunity for us all to gain a better understanding of it, reducing the stigma, raising awareness, providing support, identifying any warning signs or unusual behaviour and promoting healthy coping mechanisms.

Suicide is preventable, and the Baton of Hope represents an opportunity for us all to learn more and become part of the movement towards zero suicide.  But we do need the help of everyone in the Bay, and we are looking for sponsorship on the day to amplify the messages all along the route.

If you or your business can support this amazing initiative, or if you want to volunteer to support it, please drop me an email [email protected] or call me on 07715 770303.