The Pixel Fund has kindly donated £5,000 towards the ongoing support of suicidal people in London. This should enable us to deliver our programme of support for 20 suicidal individuals (who we call Visitors) – at a cost of approximately £247 per Visitor. Our service is unique in that it is free, confidential, face-to-face and continues for as long as the Visitor needs.
In 2016 we opened our doors two days a week and now we operate seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. We have over 450 trained volunteers who have supported over 1,000 Visitors this year. This grant will allow us to offer suicidal people weekly/fortnightly sessions with the same well-trained volunteer. Our sessions are based on attentive, empathetic listening which in our experience helps suicidal people to open up, share their pain and explore other options.
Our impact data has demonstrated that on average, after four months of support, suicidal people using our service experience significant reductions in suicidality and increases in feelings of support. This grant from The Pixel Fund will allow us to support 20 people to make a different decision. Suicide still kills around 16 people every day. When one considers this, it becomes clear just how crucial their support is and we are grateful to The Pixel Fund for working with us to try and change this reality.
On behalf of The Listening Place