You can also view this video online: https://youtu.be/UrM8FKUsNCI.
Their key message is that we are more than “sad stories”: we have a lot to give and should be involved in decision making at all levels. They also highlight the importance of diversity when hearing the voices of people with lived experience.
Over the past year, NSPA Lived Experience Influencers have been involved in a whole range of activities. This has included speaking at events, conferences, and webinars; addressing the All Party Parliamentary Group on Suicide and Self Harm Prevention; working with academics to co-produce research proposals and designs; sitting on advisory and steering groups; joining meetings to inform the Government’s new Strategy; and joining and contributing to the work of the Suicide Prevention Consortium. They have also worked with the NSPA to develop and co-ordinate the World Suicide Prevention Day campaign, and many have shared their own reflections here on why creating hope through action is such a personal and dynamic concept in suicide prevention. Follow @NSPA_UK on Twitter to see more reflections as part of WSPD on September 10th.
A group of NSPA Influencers have also been working closely with STORM, as part of the training review.
“Working with NSPA Lived Experience Influencers has been invaluable. They bring a unique perspective that cannot be gleaned from academic work or professional practice. For example, they can tell us what it means to struggle with self-harm and suicide and what it feels like to receive care. The group have been integral in reinforcing messages of engagement with families and support networks, as well as working with diversity.”
Bianca Hegde CEO, STORM Skills Training