Look Out For Wolverhampton (LOFW) is an ongoing suicide prevention awareness campaign for our city.
This website contains a range of resources, and sources of help and support which aim to help everyone in Wolverhampton to play their part in preventing suicide – one conversation at a time.
The resources address some of the myths and misunderstandings that can surround suicide and leave us feeling unable to offer meaningful help to others in distress, or seek help for ourselves.
Look Out For Wolverhampton is one aspect of the work of Wolverhampton Suicide Prevention Stakeholder Forum (WSPS Forum). The Forum is made up of a wide range of statutory, voluntary and community organisations in the city that work together to prevent suicide and support anyone affected by it .
Many more people are affected by suicide than we might realise including:
The simple campaign messages are that:
You can support the campaign as an individual, or as a member of a community group or an organisation / company. Share the campaign messages, resources and get involved to help you to Look Out For a Mate, Look Out For a Loved One, Look Out For a Colleague, and Look Out For the Signs.
Remember, every situation will be different. It is important to recognise that whilst you can make a difference to someone else by listening with a commitment to possibly support, you do not have control over them or their actions; we only ever have control over ourselves. We can potentially influence and encourage people to seek the help they may need and deserve, but we cannot assume absolute responsibility for their life.
If you are in an abusive relationship or an unsafe situation, you may experience someone expressing that they are feeling suicidal as a means of trying to control or coerce you. You do not need to stay in an unsafe or abusive relationship out of fear that they might take their life if you leave.
There is a wide range of support available for anyone who: is thinking of taking their own life; worried about someone else; or has been bereaved by suicide. Contact any of the FREE, CONFIDENTIAL Helpline numbers, Text Messaging, or Online Chat services below.
If you think you are about to take your own life, call 999 and ask for an ambulance
SAMARITANS - (24/7 help)
: 116 123
jo@samaritans.org - samaritans.org
54 Newhampton Road West, WV6 0RU
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PAPYRUS HOPELINEUK
9am – midnight
Preventing Young Suicide in under 35s
08000 684 141 or text 07860 039967
pat@papyrus-uk.org - papyrus-uk.org
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CHILDLINE - (24/7 help)
0800 1111
Online Counsellor chat - childline.org.uk
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Crisis Line - (24/7 help)
08000 086 516 or text 07860 025281
blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk/contact-us/help-crisis
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KALEIDOSCOPE PLUS GROUP - (24/7 inc. support for people bereaved by suicide)
Text messaging support: TeamKPG to 85258
kaleidoscopeplus.org.uk
If you are feeling overwhelmed or that life isn’t worth living
Relaxing and calming exercises
Suicide can have far-reaching effects among friends, family, colleagues and the wider community. Bereavement by suicide is often described as a complicated grief, and pain with the volume yanked up. We might be effected by the loss of someone who we do not know, but do find some level of connection with, through their story.
For many people who navigate such a complicated grief, they would argue that they struggle with the wider communities difficulty to acknowledge their support needs and loss. It might be suggested that this is because we fear saying the wrong thing or we do not know what support is available. A compassionate response is really important, just as it would be due to any other cause of loss and bereavement.
If you are a front line worker who has responded to or been exposed to suicide, or someone who has lost a patient, service user, student or pupil, such exposure and loss can have an impact too. It is important for you to know that you too can be supported.
Local and national help and support is available for you or anyone you care about.
‘Help is at Hand – Support After Someone May Have Died by Suicide’ – co-produced by people who have been bereaved by suicide and Public Health England.
Kaleidoscope Plus Group Suicide Bereavement Support – offers free, confidential support to anyone who has been bereaved by suicide including, Peer Support groups –in-person in the Black Country, and virtual. All groups are facilitated by trained professionals. Phone, email and online support.
Children and young people: Kooth, Cruse Bereavement Support, Childline - Get Support, and Childline - Bereavement
Compton Care Bereavement Hubs: Not specific to bereavement by suicide but provide a friendly place for people to meet and talk with others who have experienced loss and grief.
First Hand - for anyone affected by witnessing a suicide, when they did not know the person who has died.
Anyone and any organisation, group or company can support suicide prevention in Wolverhampton, and the work of Wolverhampton Suicide Prevention Stakeholder Forum in any of the following ways:
Download the digital campaign resources from the Resources section
View resources
Tell us about your events - let us know what you are planning to spread the campaign messages.
Upload your events
Share photos and social media posts using #LookOutForWolverhampton
Share messages of hope (maybe from your own experience) in writing or with a short video (30 secs max) by email to info@lookoutforwolverhampton.net or WhatsApp to 07981 931849
The following organisations work together to prevent suicides in Wolverhampton and support this campaign.
Copyright 2023 City of Wolverhampton Council
