Moving Towards a Zero Suicide Society - The report

At the beginning of 2023, The Jordan Legacy launched a new strategy designed to raise the bar in terms of collective ambition in suicide prevention and to plot a course of collective practical action that can realise that ambition.?

Shared learning and collaboration are at the heart of this strategy because we know we can’t do this alone but together we can achieve a transformation in suicide prevention.?

Today, on what would have been Jordan's 38th birthday, Paul Vittles and I are proud to announce the publication of The Jordan Legacy's 'Moving Towards a Zero Suicide Society' action-research project report.

Access the report here .?

To create this report, we have listened to those who have participated in our online events and forums, who interact with us via our social media channels and the dozens of people who have participated in months of one-to-one interviews.?

Those we have listened to include people affected by suicide including; those who have attempted to end their lives, those who have lost loved ones to suicide, heads of national charities, third sector support organisations, including founders of crisis and help centres, NHS mental health employees and other emergency service workers, heads of wellbeing companies, wellbeing leads.?

In every case, we have asked those we've spoken with to provide their responses to two key questions: How can we significantly reduce the annual number of suicides in the UK, from the 6000+ level it's been at for 15 years? And, how far can we go??

Sometimes, those we have spoken with had clear views about how we can significantly reduce the number of suicides. Others, when challenged, were more vague but were still, nevertheless, passionate that something must change.

Our action research project report maps out all the practical actions shared with us about what is needed to reduce the number of suicides. It provides practical guidance and inspiration to all those who want to make the Zero Suicide Society vision a reality.?

Access the report here

We can all help reduce the number of suicides. Moving towards a Zero Suicide Society needs action from many people and organisations including government. In this report we summarise precisely what is needed from government to help point the way.?

This report is not meant to be comprehensive. We welcome further input. Our research and conversations continue, with what is a growing Zero Suicide Society movement.??

We hope you find the report useful and hopeful. The question that needs to be asked in that case is; why are we not implementing those things????

What happens next??

We want to open up the conversation to you now. What are your views about this report??

Online event?

We will shortly be announcing an online panel discussion event to be held this summer.?

This event is an opportunity to hear about the action research project this report draws from and the actions many have told us will reduce the number of suicides.

It’s also an opportunity to input your ideas and suggestions and hear how you can be involved further as the project develops from here.?

Government petition?

In the coming days and aligned to our report, we will be publishing an online Government petition, calling for a National Suicide Prevention Act - a framework to minimise suicides.

We hope you find the report useful and that it inspires hope - hope that together we can move towards a zero suicide society; one that is willing and able to prevent all preventable suicides.??

Access the report here

If you have been affected by any of the content in this article, please visit?The Jordan Legacy's website ?and our?Help & Resources ?menu resources.

Steve Phillip is a former training consultant, turned suicide prevention advocate, following the death of his son, Jordan, to suicide in December 2019. The Jordan Legacy CIC's mission is to be at the forefront of the advancement of mental health and preventing lives being lost to suicide. Our focus and hope is that we can influence a significant reduction in the annual suicide numbers in the UK.

For regular updates on developments at?The Jordan Legacy CIC ?and the work we're involved with to help prevent suicide,?you can opt-in here? .

To donate and help support causes supported and managed by The Jordan Legacy, you can donate via?our website here .