By Helen Birch (Conference Chair)
In the world of professional development, we often talk in terms of logistics: hard work, constant communication, time management, and that holy grail of organisation, the GANTT chart. But when you are building a national conference dedicated to self harm and suicide prevention, those professional terms take on a much deeper meaning.
At Harmless, creating a conference isn’t just about booking a room and a caterer – it’s about a year-long journey fuelled by a mission to ensure that ‘no-one is left behind’.
Preparation and Planning: The Endless Cycle
You might think the planning starts a few months before the event. In reality, it starts the moment the previous conference finishes.
While the delegates are heading home, our staff are already feeding back thoughts on the positives, areas for improvement and the crucial points of learning. We scrutinise and collate every piece of delegate feedback with the same intensity. We don’t just want to repeat what worked; we want to evolve and ensure that each conference surpasses the impact of the last.
The ‘Crystal Ball’ Phase
This is where we look at the ‘big picture’. We forward-think to determine what the suicide prevention space needs in the following year. We do this by:
- Analysing Strategies: Aligning with local and national suicide prevention strategies.
- Conducting Research: Utilising our own findings as a Centre of Excellence to see where the gaps are.
- Identifying the Unseen: We look for the topics, communities, or specialist areas that aren’t yet getting the coverage or shared knowledge base they require.
This research doesn’t just fill a schedule – it forms the theme for our upcoming year.
Searching for the Right Voices
On paper, finding speakers sounds easy. You identify the expert, you send an email or two, and you’re done. But in reality, the communications are complex.
In the field of mental health and suicide prevention, people always come first. Experts are busy, schedules are finite, and competing demands are high. This is why we begin reaching out a full year in advance. We aren’t just looking for ‘a speaker’; we are looking for the right voices to power the movement for change.
The Magic of the Spreadsheet
Let’s be honest: what would we do without the shared spreadsheet? Without them, we would forget, duplicate and, to be frank, not know our heads from our tails. Even with them, things can still feel a little chaotic at times, but the spreadsheet is the anchor that keeps us in line, in check, and on time. It is the silent engine behind every successful event.
Teamwork: More Than Just a Cliché
‘Teamwork makes the dream work’ might be cheesy to some, but in conference planning, it is the absolute truth. Every single minute of our national conference has been orchestrated, planned and timed.
Behind the scenes, there is a backup plan for nearly every eventuality. That level of detail is only possible when a team works in total synchronicity, driven by the shared goal of cultivating a supportive, compassionate environment for everyone affected by distress.
Building a national conference is a marathon, not a sprint. Whether you join us as a delegate, contribute your voice, or help share the learning beyond the room, your involvement matters. Together, we can turn planning into purpose, knowledge into action, and one day of impact into lasting change.
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From Harm to Hope: The 11th National Self Harm & Suicide Prevention Conference
Friday 27th February 9am–5pm (GMT)
Trent Conference Centre, Trent Vineyard, Unit 1, Easter Park, Nottingham NG7 2PX
or online via our live stream
From Harm to Hope 2026 is proudly supported by:
