Navigating Grief During Special Occasions: The Impact of Losing a Loved One to Suicide

By Caroline Harroe (Harmless CEO) Grief is a universal experience and yet it can manifest in unique ways for each individual. For those who have lost a loved one to suicide, the pain can be amplified, especially during special occasions that were once shared with the person they loved. Anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, and other celebrations […]

Challenging Common Misconceptions About Suicides Over Christmas

By Caroline Harroe (Harmless CEO) While there is a common perception of an increase in suicides during the Christmas holiday season in the UK, data from the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) and real-time surveillance data suggest that this is not the case. Here’s a closer look at the data: ONS DataThe ONS 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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

The Tomorrow Project at A Festival of Christmas Trees

By Lois Day (Clinical Support Worker) It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… at least for the Derbyshire bereavement team. This year we are celebrating at A Festival of Christmas Trees, held at Chesterfield Parish Church (more commonly known as the Crooked Spire). Every year, the Spire is filled with Christmas trees, each one decorated […]