Suicide Rates Across Months of the Year: Debunking the Christmas Myth and Focusing on UK Data
By Caroline Harroe (Harmless CEO) Suicide is a complex issue with multiple contributing factors, and its occurrence across the year can be influenced by various factors. While there is a common perception of an increase in suicides during the Christmas holiday season, data from the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) and real-time surveillance data […]
Patience, Respect and Kindness: Confronting Loneliness and Isolation
By Caroline Harroe (Harmless CEO) Isolation and loneliness are both deeply personal and complex experiences that carry different meanings for different individuals. Although frequently used interchangeably, they do hold distinct connotations. Isolation can be described as a state of being separated from others, both physically and emotionally, while loneliness is the perceived sense of being […]
Harmless and The Tomorrow Project in 2023: A Force for Change in Self Harm and Suicide Prevention
By Caroline Harroe (Harmless CEO) Our Enormous Impact in Self Harm and Suicide PreventionOver the past 12 months, Harmless and The Tomorrow Project’s unwavering dedication to providing comprehensive support and resources has enabled us to make a profound impact on the fight against self harm and suicide. We have empowered individuals, organisations and communities to […]
Validation for Not Feeling Festive
By Claire Dixon (Academy Lead) There are lots of expectations to have a wonderful Christmas, regardless of whether you celebrate the event itself. TV adverts, supermarket promotions and work events all set up very glamorous ideals of what our Christmases should look like. The Christmas period is short compared to the rest of the year. […]
The 4-Day Working Week
The welfare of our colleagues is always of the highest priority at Harmless and The Tomorrow Project. Our team is our biggest asset, so it is important we find new and innovative ways to support them in what is a very rewarding yet sometimes challenging work environment. We know if we look after our employees, […]
Conference Update – Announcing Our Guest Speakers and Workshop Leaders
Harmless is pleased to announce our finalised line-up of speakers and workshop leaders at the forthcoming National Self Harm and Suicide Prevention Conference 2024. OUR PLENARY SPEAKERS & THEIR THEMES Verity Mallion (Department of Health & Social Care) • England’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy Caroline Harroe & Laura Hughes (Harmless & The Tomorrow Project) • Leading […]
Urgent Action Needed: UK Government Cuts Suicide Prevention Funding
In a disheartening turn of events, the UK government has decided to cut ringfenced suicide prevention money from the announced budget. This decision comes despite the increasing need for suicide prevention services and the rising cost of living. The government’s actions have left organizations like ours, Harmless and The Tomorrow Project, struggling to meet the […]
Isolation and Loneliness as Risk Factors for Suicide and Self-Harm: A Rising Concern
By Caroline Harroe (Harmless CEO) IntroductionSuicide and self harm are major public health concerns, with significant social and economic costs. Isolation and loneliness are increasingly recognised as risk factors for these outcomes, particularly among young people. Isolation is defined as the objective lack of social relationships, while loneliness is the subjective experience of feeling alone […]
Trans Representation in the Media
By Laura Hughes (Suicide Crisis Service Lead – Maternity Cover) On Saturday, 5.08 million Whovians across the UK were sat eagerly in front of their TV, ready to watch the first of three Doctor Who 60th Anniversary special episodes. Something which was a pleasant surprise to many viewers, was the LGBTQIA+ representation in the episode, […]
Fundraising News – Sandra’s Story
By Tom Garrett (Suicide Bereavement Team Lead) After Sandra lost her daughter to suicide, her life changed forever. Sandra received one-to-one support from our Tomorrow Project team and after finishing this, she decided she wanted to raise awareness and money to aid our services. Sandra and her family were receiving support from our Derbyshire bereavement […]