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A new support initiative providing vital suicide prevention training in Mid-Ulster, will prevent more lives being shattered, a Dungannon-based charity has said.

Thanks to a grant from the Big Lottery Fund, local suicide prevention charity the Niamh Louise Foundation has been able to develop a new Empowering and Supporting Rural Communities project.

It is one of seven projects being announced by the Big Lottery Fund under Healthy Minds NI programme which is supporting activities to improve the mental health and well-being of local people across Northern Ireland.

The charity which also has offices in Coalisland, Cookstown and Armagh, will use the £10,000 in its project which will deliver a range of activities to promote good mental and physical health.

"This funding has been instrumental in helping us set-up training services in our new Cookstown base as well as the existing Dungannon unit - until now there were very few suicide prevention services available in the Mid-Ulster area," explained James McBennett of the foundation.

He and his wife Catherine established the organisation after their daughter, Niamh Louise McKee, tragically took her life in 2005- James was her stepfather.

"With people - and yound people especially - facing so many pressures these days the need for a co-ordinated approach to promote and help sustain positive emotional and mental health is greater than ever," said James.

"This funding will enable us to deliver prevention programmes to help train people in identifying those who may be at risk of suicide and who can then be sign-posted to some sort of intervention process. It will also be used towards 'post-vention' programmes to help those whose lives have already been touched by suicide in any way."

As someone whose life was shattered by suicide, James knows only too well how crucial it is for communities to be armed with the knowledge to help provent the traumatic suffering he and his family endured.

"This funding will help us deliver the Asist (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) Programme to an even wider audience. Many of our staff have already completed this training - in fact Catherine is a Master Trainer having delivered to many programmes," said James.

"It will be aimed at not only our staff but anyone who has community interests - clergymen, teachers, youth workers, anyone who plays that role as a 'gate keeper' to their community.

"It helps people identify those who may be feeling suicidal but who are suffering in silence because it is still such a difficult subject to discuss openly. But it also gives those who take part the reassurance and confidence to know that what they're doing and saying is the right thing."

"It 's such a responsibility to speak to someone who is suicidal - you can end up at home later worrying if what you said helped them or not. This internationally recognised training programme addresses that."

James took part in the training shortly after the death of Niamh Louise.

"In hindsight it was maybe too soon. There is a lot of role play involved in the training and some of that was very, very sensitive. It was all very raw. But it is an invaluable course."

Part of the funding will also go towards alternative and complimentary therapies for those who have been bereaved through suicide.

Added James: "Again as a family in this situation we too have used these therapies and found that they help de-escalate the stress and trauma.

"Things like reike, Indian head massage or aromatherapy can help people who maybe haven't slept properly for months. Suicide crosses all barriers - religious, social ethnic - but this funding means we can help more people whose lives have been shattered and hopefully prevent tragedy in others."

Frank Hewitt, the big Lottery Fund's NI Chair said: "The Healthy Minds programme is supporting activities at the heart of local communities. Improving people's mental health and well-being can have a positive impact on family life, work and social life - the community as a whole."

Source: Tyrone Courier
Date: 28th July 2010