Many organizations have #mentalhealth and wellbeing strategies in place, often led by occupational health. Yet preventing #suicide can still often be a bit of a gap. A new charter is aiming to help organizations ensure #suicideawareness, support and prevention is embedded in workplaces, as Mike McCarthy explains.
Friends, family, loved ones, #employers, board members, managers, colleagues… when it comes to #suicideprevention, we’re all in this together.
This is because #suicide takes 17 lives in the UK every day. Which amounts to over 6,000 people each year, a staggering statistic when you consider that each and every one of those is potentially preventable.
Moreover, #suicide is the biggest killer of #men and #women aged under 35 in the UK: more than cancer, more than heart disease, more than traffic collisions.
#Suicideprevention
As Dean Russell, MP for Watford and a prominent #mentalhealth campaigner, has said: “If #suicide were a virus, we’d be on the hunt for a vaccine.” But it remains the invisible killer.
Unfortunately, my beloved son Ross was one of those 6,000 in 2021, after struggling with #depression for more than a decade.
He left behind a fiancée, a young son and a heartfelt parting wish that more be done to campaign for better #mentalhealthsupport. It has subsequently become my mission for him to not be merely a statistic. You might say I’ve ‘taken up the baton’.
Aiming for a zero-#suicide society
The Baton of Hope is the organization I co-founded in 2022 and we were awarded full charity status in May 2023. But it’s more than a charity; it’s a community, united in the belief that we can one day be a zero-#suicide society. Because, as I say, we’re all in this together.
And I am immensely proud of the progress we have made towards that vision in just a year since our inception.
Our incredible core team of volunteers, all of whom have lived experience of dealing with #mental ill health and #suicide, have got us major sponsorship deals from the likes of Alstom, NatWest, Savills, Starbucks, Transport for London and Westfield Health, and garnered support from over 120 MPs.
Among those MPs is Russell, whose message of H.O.P.E. – ‘Help one person everyday’ – was a key component of his election manifesto.
At a recent event, held on a sunny day on the Terrace Pavilion at the House of Commons, he commented: “The workplace plays a crucial part in our #mentalhealth and there is a clear need for guidance on how organizations can better support their greatest asset, their people, with cultures that promote openness and a sense of safety to talk about #mentalhealth and #suicide.”
#James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.#http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book, #CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
That event, on the banks of the River Thames, marked the launch of one of our key initiatives that will help make our vision a reality: our Baton of Hope UK Workplace Charter.
Occupational health refers to keeping people well at work – physically and mentally. But, of the investment made in this area, the lion’s share still goes to physical safety. This makes zero sense when you consider that poor #mentalhealth constitutes more than half of all work-related illnesses (51%) and costs UK #employers as much as £45bn per year.
We spend around a third of our lives at work, so it’s no wonder that organizations do their utmost to ensure workplaces are safe environments. But, when you look at the figures, more needs to be done to provide employees with support.
Studies have shown a clear correlation between a happy workforce and a productive workforce – but staying happy depends on knowing that you have the right support.
Many organizations have #mentalhealth and wellbeing strategies in place, but a culture of wellbeing can only thrive if company leaders create the right environment.
Our workplace charter is going to help all businesses – global, national, regional, large or small – achieve that with resources in one place to look after their people.
We spend around a third of our lives at work, so it’s no wonder that organizations do their utmost to ensure workplaces are safe environments. But, when you look at the figures, more needs to be done to provide employees with support.”
Gap in wellbeing strategies
Specific mention of #suicide is often a gap in wellbeing strategies, so the charter will provide organizations with all they need to understand and do to ensure that #suicideawareness, support and prevention is embedded across the workplace.
It will also include guidance on how to manage a death from #suicide in the workplace and support those who are bereaved by #suicide.
But I’m not an expert, so the charter has been compiled by a team that consists of corporate, public and voluntary sector representatives, and has been signed off by leading clinicians in the field of #suicideprevention.
One of our principal endorsers is Professor Rory O’Connor, professor of health psychology at the University of Glasgow and, as president of the International Association for #SuicidePrevention, a world leader on #suicide research and prevention.
Professor O’Connor says: “Employers have a crucial role to play in #suicideprevention. I commend this charter encouraging employers to approach this crisis with all the attention it deserves.”
Six workplace principles
Among the guidance will be our six principles for #suicide support and prevention in the workplace. These include using clear and consistent messaging, embracing those with lived experience, and promoting crisis services and other resources.
Another prominent supporter of ours is Dr Alex George, the former Love Island star who was appointed UK #Youth #MentalHealth Ambassador in February 2021.
Having lost his brother, Llyr, to #suicide in 2021, Dr George has also agreed to be an ambassador for Baton of Hope, saying: “I am delighted to support this fantastic initiative that will bring support to the millions of people who are suffering in silence. Whether it’s carrying the physical baton or spreading the message of hope to our colleagues, friends and loved ones, we are all in this together.”
The ‘physical baton’ that he refers to is the charity’s iconic device that serves as a unifying symbol for our campaign.
Made by Thomas Lyte, goldsmiths and silversmiths to the late Queen Elizabeth II, and makers of the Emirates FA Cup and Rugby World Cup’s Webb Ellis Trophy, the baton will embark on a nationwide tour in late June.
It will be bringing the message of hope to 12 towns and cities across the UK, before culminating in a trip to Downing Street on Thursday 6 July.
Ultimately, by uniting people up and down the country on our crusade to improve #suicideawareness, support and prevention, we can save lives. Did I – and Dr George – mention that we’re all in this together?
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
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