Our Charity Partner: PAPYRUS

PAPYRUS is the national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide.

PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide is the UK charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people.

Suicide is the biggest killer of people aged 35 and under in the UK. PAPYRUS believes that many suicides are preventable.

PAPYRUS was founded in 1997 by a group of bereaved parents, who had each lost children to suicide. Our founding parents shared core beliefs that suicide is preventable, and that those of us with lived experience of suicide have a valuable and unique contribution to make to the wider conversation around suicide.

Since then, PAPYRUS has grown into a UK-wide charity with offices in North West England, South West England, West Midlands, London, Northern Ireland, North Wales, South Wales, and Scotland.

Today, PAPYRUS is the leading youth suicide prevention charity in the UK. Their suicide prevention helpline, HOPELINE247, is staffed by trained suicide prevention advisers, who work with young people – and anybody concerned for a young person – to help keep them safe from suicide. HOPELINE247 is a free and confidential call, text and email service, which is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year (weekends and bank holidays included),

PAPYRUS works with communities across the UK, engaging them in our mission to prevent suicide in children and young people. They engage them through their resources and training, learning with them and galvanising them to help save young lives.

PAPYRUS also presses for change to current legislation around suicide prevention on a regional and national level.

The work they do centres around five key pillars; Support, Equip, Influence, Sustain and Enable.

SUPPORT:

PAPYRUS offers professional advice and information to young people and those who are worried about them when suicide becomes part of their lived experience. PAPYRUS intervenes to protect life where this is endangered. They do this every day of the year.

EQUIP:

Their people reach and engage with communities across the UK. They have strengthened the volunteering offer. Staff and volunteers reflect the diverse communities they engage with. They are geographically dispersed across the UK. They work with partners and local suicide prevention planning groups to aid joined-up thinking and action. PAPYRUS offers professional advice and information to young people and those who are worried about them when suicide becomes part of their lived experience. PAPYRUS intervenes to protect life where this is endangered. They do this every day of the year.

INFLUENCE:

PAPYRUS works with partners to shape and deliver effective suicide intervention initiatives in communities to meet the needs of young people who experience suicidal thoughts or behaviours, and those who are concerned about them. PAPYRUS lobbies for policy change where these needs are not being met.

SUSTAIN:

They work hard to ensure they have a diverse income portfolio and have robust risk management and financial plans in place to ensure continuity and future growth within the charity.

ENABLE:

Their management structure enables good and timely decision-making and promotes subsidiarity. PAPYRUS invests in staff and volunteers so that they can be effective and productive. They are properly supported in delivering our mission to enable life for young people.

The website can be found at: https://www.papyrus-uk.org/

More about Hopeline247:

HOPELINE247 advisers want to work with you to understand why thoughts of suicide might be present. They also want to provide you with a safe space to talk through anything happening in your life that could be impacting on your or anyone else’s ability to stay safe.

• For children and young people under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide
• For anyone concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide