By Caroline Harroe (Harmless CEO)
Nineteen years ago, Harmless was born not out of a grand corporate strategy, but out of a deeply personal, visceral need. It started because when I was in that dark space myself, no one was there to help me. I knew what it felt like to be completely alone in the deepest pain, looking for a hand to reach out to and finding nothing. Harmless was set up so that no one else would ever have to walk that road without support. The foundation was deceptively simple: humanity first. We set out to build a place defined by empathy, warmth and absolute non-judgement – a space where people could bring their rawest, most vulnerable selves without fear of being turned away, misunderstood or clinicalised into a set of symptoms.
Revisiting those early values today isn’t just an exercise in nostalgia; it is a vital grounding exercise. Over nearly two decades, the world around us has shifted dramatically and become far more complex. Lives are becoming harder to live comfortably, with rising adversity, poverty and isolation driving the numbers of people needing our support up and up. At the same time, trust in wider societal structures continues to erode. In this landscape, the core principles that launched Harmless are not just relevant – they are a lifeline.
Approaching our 19th year is a profound milestone. It represents tens of thousands of conversations, safety plans created in moments of crisis and individuals guided back from the edge. But it also carries a heavy weight. Reaching this milestone brings a quiet, resolute clarity: the work is far from done, and the fight to sustain it has become harder than ever.
Securing funds for our work is an uphill battle, largely because of a widespread perception that self harm support should be NHS-funded. But ‘should’ and ‘are’ are not the same thing. That is a fight we still fight every single day. While the NHS is under extraordinary pressure, Harmless stands on the frontline bridging the gap, constantly fighting for the resources required to keep our doors open and save lives right now.
That is why keeping up this fight is more critical today than it was nineteen years ago. As we stand on the threshold of our 19th year and look ahead toward our 20th anniversary, we want to mark the year ahead with greater community and an unshakable commitment to the cause. The original spark remains undimmed, but we cannot do this alone.
So if you want to get involved, tell your story or lend your voice, now – more than ever – you are needed. You can assist in ways both big and small. You can start small simply by sharing our information, letting people know we’re here, setting up a regular donation, or choosing to fundraise for us. You can join us at our events or sign up for our training.
It is time to start making a little more fuss about the fact that people are dying in this country without access to proper help.
Are you ready to raise a little noise?
