A campaign to encourage conversation and break the stigma

Whether you are feeling suicidal, worried someone else is, or you have been bereaved by suicide, you are not alone.

Shining a Light on Suicide is there to encourage honest conversations around suicide and break the stigma. The website was commissioned by the Greater Manchester Suicide Prevention Programme board with the aim to prevent suicide and provide information and support for those bereaved by suicide or dealing with suicidal thoughts. This local campaign came about after research amongst people who once considered suicide that showed that talking openly about their suicidal feelings helped to save their life. 

While all grief is painful, being bereaved by suicide can be particularly difficult. Shining a Light on Suicide normalises feelings such as anger, guilt, numbness, anxiety and physical responses when experiencing suicide bereavement. They provide advice and tips on how to work through this grief by talking to others who have been bereaved, spending time outside and taking part in activities, and creating a safety plan to remind you of positive things. This campaign recognises that whilst there is no set way to deal with loss and that doing things like creating rituals and joining a bereavement community can be helpful during the grieving process. 

The Shining a Light on Suicide website provides access to a range of local bereavement support for people in the Greater Manchester area and holds key links to resources. To encourage people to talk, the website showcases stories of hope where people have shared personal stories of overcoming suicidal thoughts or their experience of losing a loved one to suicide.

Getting the right help is important, and this website feels like a safe space for those bereaved by suicide to find support within in the Greater Manchester community.