The ScotRail Alliance will mark World Suicide Prevention Day 2018 by offering support to customers on trains.
‘Conversation Cafes’ will see representatives from the Railway Mission, Samaritans, NHS24 Breathing Space and British Transport Police amongst other organisations, engaging and meeting with customers on train services next week.
The team behind these are small groups travelling around our network and engaging passengers in conversations about mental health issues; signposting them or their friends and family to someone they can talk to, in utter confidence, when they are feeling down.
This year’s Conversation Cafés will be taking place from Monday 10 September (World Suicide Prevention Day) until Friday 14 September on the routes across Scotland, including Inverness, Glasgow, Edinburgh, North Berwick, Ayr, Dundee, Fife and Aberdeen.
Railway Mission Chaplain Graham Whitehead said:
“By offering a smile and a hello, as well as information about where customers can get professional support, we can make a huge different to people’s lives.
“If just one person who is going through a difficult time gets the help they need, then it will be worthwhile.”
ScotRail Alliance Safety Improvement Manager Sylvia Wilson said:
“We’re really pleased to be a part of such a great initiative. It’s important that our customers know what help and support is available to them.”
NOTES
Railway Mission Chaplains are Ruth McBean (East and Central Scotland) – 07718 971913; Graham Whitehead (Glasgow and West of Scotland) – 07718 971914; Dereck Grant (North of Scotland) – 07841 985768.
Samaritans service is available 24/7. Call 116 123 or text 07725 90 90 90
Breathing Space is available Monday-Thursday 18:00-02:00 and Friday-Monday 18:00-06:00. Call 0800 83 85 87.