The ScotRail Alliance will mark World Suicide Prevention Day 2017 by offering support to people all across Scotland.
Conversation Cafés will see representatives from the Samaritans, NH24 Breathing Space, Railway Chaplains, SAMH and other organisations, engaging and meeting customers on train services and at stations this week.
The teams behind the Conversation Cafés will be small groups travelling around our network, engaging passengers in conversations about mental health issues; signposting them, or their friends and family, to someone they can talk to in confidence when they are feeling down.
Conversation Cafés will be delivered on 14 routes across Scotland, and stalls will be held at Inverness, Haymarket, Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central and Aberdeen stations.
World Suicide Prevention Day 2017 is marked on 10 September.
Iluska Sandor, ScotRail Alliance safety validation manager, said:
“We are proud to be supporting World Suicide Prevention Day again this year by working with other groups to encourage people to seek help if they need it.
“Offering a smile and a hello, as well as information about where professional support can be found, could make a big difference to people’s lives. If even just one person who is going through a difficult time can get the help they need, then it will be worthwhile.”
Sheila Ottiwell, Samaritans regional director for Scotland, said:
“We are delighted to be supporting these events with the ScotRail Alliance, Railway Mission, Breathing Space and others as part of suicide prevention awareness week in the build-up to World Suicide Prevention Day, on 10 September.
“Suicide affects so many people each year, and these community events can help us reach a huge number of people across Scotland.
"The latest suicide figures in Scotland for 2016 showed the first increase in six years, which further highlights the importance of community activities such as these.”
Notes.
Samaritans
Samaritans, available 24/7.
Call 116 123, or text 07725 90 90 90.
NHS24 Breathing Space
Breathing Space available, Monday-Thursday: 18:00-02:00 hours and Friday-Monday: 18:00-06:00 hours.
Call 0800 83 85 87.
Railway Chaplains
Ruth McBean (East & Central Scotland) – 07718 971913;
Graham Whitehead (Glasgow & West of Scotland) – 07718 971914;
Dereck Grant (North of Scotland) – 07841 985768.