This was the call from a group of young people affected by suicide from the Poleglass area today as they presented MLAs at Stormont with a petition signed by more than 5000 people throughout Northern Ireland calling for additional resources to help reduce the number of young people dying by suicide in their area.

These young people have lost many of their friends to suicide during 2010 and are demanding that the Assembly give communities in West Belfast and across Northern Ireland the resources they need to put an end to young people choosing what has been described as ‘a permanent solution to a temporary problem’ and taking their own lives. 

Chief Executive Karen Collins-Neill said that  the group of young people came together through the Bytes Project at Sally Gardens and approached New Life Counselling to deliver some group work to help support these vulnerable young people to cope with the loss of their friends and family. 

“Since beginning work with this group New Life Counselling has begun working with a group in Short Strand and Malone who are experiencing similar issues.  The need for this type of support for these young people is becoming more and more prevalent as New Life Counselling is being approached to deliver similar programmes with other groups of young people.”

Christopher Scott, aged 18, the spokesperson for the Poleglass Project who call themselves ‘Help us Help Ourselves' said

'We are not afraid to keep talking to MLAs and demanding that the Assembly do something to help us.  We are losing too many of our friends and family to suicide and something has to be done to stop this happening. The effects of someone we know and love taking their lives will affect us and communities for years to come. Working with counsellors from New Life Counselling has given us hope that we can change things and that we have the power to make a difference. We want people to know that suicide is not a solution to their problems and organisations such as New Life Counselling are there to provide help and support when they need it'

Other group members Christopher Fisher, 17 Stephen Lynch, 18 and Gary Cusack, 17 also from the group “Help us Help Ourselves, said,

'We are looking forward to attending Stormont and having our voice heard.  The issue of suicide is not going to go away. We need more education, help and support that is accessible to our age group within the wider community, not just when there is a crisis but all of the time .We need people such as New Life Counselling to go into youth clubs etc to make people aware of the help that is out there if they need it.”

Karen Collins-Neill said,

“Too many people across Northern Ireland lose their lives by suicide each year and this issue needs to be taken seriously. It has been a privilege for New Life Counselling to support this group of young people who have taken it upon themselves to tackle this issue so proactively by seeking services to support them personally and also in lobbying  MLAs to recognise the seriousness of this issue.  The issue of suicide affects people  irrespective of age, gender, religious background or deprivation.  Through the provision of counselling services provided to those who have felt suicidal, many more suicides have been prevented. However greater investment is needed to provide the counselling support needed and prevent further needless deaths.  New Life Counselling are supporting these young people in their call to the Assembly to get government departments working together on this issue in order to provide voluntary organisations, working to end this loss of life across Northern Ireland, the resources to provide sustainable, long term support”.

New Life Counselling offers counselling services and therapeutic support to clients across the life cycle both in the community and in over 180 post primary schools across Northern Ireland.  Referral to these services can be completed on line at our website www.newlifecounselling.net or via phone at either of our offices on 028 90 746180 (Duncairn office) or 028 9039 1630 (Ardoyne office).  As we are a charitable organisation and services are provided free of charge donations can also be made online at this address.