Northumberland County Council - Suicide Awareness Training for Businesses in Newbiggin

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Suicide Awareness Training for Businesses in Newbiggin

20 May 2025

During Mental Health Awareness Week (12-18 May), Northumberland County Council delivered Basic Suicide Awareness Training for local businesses and traders in Newbiggin.

Businesses were invited to take part following discussions about mental health issues in the area. The training aimed to increase basic knowledge and understanding of suicide, and covered:

Risk factors and protective factors of suicide.
How to have conversations and provide support.
Ways to look after your wellbeing.
Information of services and support.

Nicholas Storey, CEO at mental health charity Brighter Storey for All, attended the one-day course which helps people understand what to do if they’re ever in a situation where someone they know or see may be struggling with thoughts of suicide.

He said: “This was a fantastic course which really taught me a lot about this difficult subject. Any one of us could find ourselves in a situation where we could help someone in mental health crisis, and this training has helped me understand what I can do or say should that happen.”

Northumberland County Council’s Director of Public Health, Gill O’Neill, said: “We know that there are many people who may be struggling with their mental health and experiencing feelings of anxiety and stress.

“One in five people have thought about suicide at some point in their life and not all people who die by suicide have a mental health condition.

“Talking about suicide won’t make somebody’s suicidal thoughts worse or make them more likely to harm themself. This training aims to help people start a conversation and can help with suicide prevention by creating a safe space for people to talk about how they are feeling.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, seek professional support.

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