Join us on World Suicide Prevention Day

Join us to light a candle at 8pm on the 10th of September 2024 in Barrow, Carlisle, Kendal, Penrith, Whitehaven or Workington.

These events are an opportunity to come come together in solidarity with others who have lost family members, friends and colleagues to suicide, and those who want to show their support for people in our communities who are living with thoughts of suicide.

Find out more!

Run, Walk and Raise funds for Suicide Prevention in Cumbria!

Stride Against Suicide is not your usual running event! You and your team of up to 5 will run (or walk!) as many laps as you can in 2 hours around the beautiful landscaped grounds of Fell Foot at the south end of Lake Windermere.

Get your mates, your local quiz team, office colleagues, or your Pilates pals and join us to run as many laps as you can. Runners have to be at least 16 years and entry is £10 per person, plus we encourage participants’ own fundraising. All money raised from the event goes towards Every Life Matters, reducing suicide rates in Cumbria through suicide prevention training, awareness raising and bereavement support.

Book your place now!

Suicide Bereavement Support in Cumbria

Suicide bereavement is a unique loss. It has been described as one of the most difficult and lonely experiences a person can have, being left with an overwhelming jumble of feelings and thoughts.

Every Life Matters provides individual and family support, peer support groups, an online support forum and support to employers and other organisations and communities impacted by suicide.

Find out more about our suicide bereavement support

Suicide Prevention Pocket Guides

Download our pocket guides Thinking about Suicide, Safety Planning, Worried about someone or continue reading our pages to find out more.

Wellbeing & Mental Health Guide

Covid-19, and now the cost of living crisis, has had a far reaching impact on our nations mental health. Its more important than ever that we take positive steps to look after our ourselves, to seek help when we need it, and check-in and support people around us.

Our revised Guide to looking after yourself and others contains practical information about things you can do now to look after your mental health and wellbeing, on how you can support others, and where to find support if you or others need it. Visit our Support Directory to find out more about where you can get help.

Self-harm Pocket Guides

As part of our Self-harm Safe Kit we have produced a range of pocket guides aimed at understanding, and finding ways to begin managing, self-harming behaviour.

Self-harm: What you need to know, Self-harm: A guide for parents and carers and Self-harm: Self-harm: Safe Plans We have also produced a guide to Local and National Support

Lets keep in touch

Get regular updates about Every Life Matters training, resources and events across Cumbria.

Support Directory

If you are really struggling to cope, or feel overwhelmed by difficult feelings, then reach out for professional help. It’s still available and it’s OK to ask for more support to see you through this difficult time.

Browse our Support Directory for more information about the Support and Services available to you across Cumbria, Nationally and Online.

Safety Planning

Many people will have thoughts of suicide – but thinking about suicide does not make it inevitable that you are going to take your own life. A safety plan helps prevent us turning these thoughts into actions.

Safety Plans take a stepped approach. They can help us manage those fleeting thoughts of suicide that emerge at the edge of your mind – through to situations where the desire to die becomes so overwhelming we no longer think we can keep yourself safe. Find out how to create a Safety Plan here.

Look after yourself. Get help early

Its natural to feel a little more stressed or overwhelmed right now. These are really challenging times. Some people may even be having thoughts of suicide. If you are really struggling to cope please reach out for help. There is hope, and you are not alone.

Focus Group Volunteers Recruitment

Every Life Matters a Cumbrian suicide prevention and suicide bereavement support charity. In summer 2020 we launched our Support After Suicide service for people in Cumbria bereaved and affected by suicide.

We work alongside Cumbria Police, and other local groups to support people in the early weeks and months after a suicide. Find out more about our Support After Suicide service here.

We are now recruiting volunteers with personal experience of bereavement by suicide to help us develop our service further, and improve support for people in Cumbria who have lost a loved one to suicide. Find out more