Stars from TV and sport in Leeds have given their celebrity backing to a campaign calling for more people across the city to sign up as ‘Suicide Prevention Champions’.
Actors from the cast of Leeds-based ITV soap Emmerdale appear in a new film alongside Leeds United player Brenden Aaronson and Leeds Rhinos captain Cameron Smith to rally people across Leeds and beyond to work together and prevent suicide.
The film, compiled by Leeds City Council’s public health team, encourages people to sign up as West Yorkshire Suicide Prevention Champions, to reduce stigma, share messages of hope and connect those in need to potentially life-saving support and resources.
Anyone can sign up as a champion – by watching a 20-minute video, completing an online form and making a pledge, big or small, about how they plan to promote suicide prevention at home, in the community, at work or online.
Champions can then download a digital badge, an information pack and access an array of campaign resources to help spread the word.
In the film, the city’s stars share the pledges they’ve made as Suicide Prevention Champions and urge others to join the cause.
Actress and TV presenter Lisa Riley, who opens the film, says: “Suicide is more common in West Yorkshire than the rest of England. Nationally it is our biggest killer of men and women aged between 20 and 34. We believe that every suicide is preventable and have a zero-suicide vision for West Yorkshire.
“We can work to change things.
“We are urging everyone in West Yorkshire to sign up to become a Suicide Prevention Champion by learning more about suicide, helping to challenge stigma and encouraging action.
“Together we can bring down the suicide rate.”
Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, also features in the film and said her pledge is to reach out to her friends and “make sure if someone’s gone quiet on WhatsApp, I’ll call them, not just text”.
The Suicide Prevention Champions campaign was initially launched in 2022 by West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, of which Leeds City Council is a member, and is hosted online at www.suicidepreventionwestyorkshire.co.uk/becomeachampion.
The website also offers information on a range of suicide prevention support and resources available across West Yorkshire.
In Leeds, the suicide rate remains higher than the England average, with the latest data by the Office for National Statistics showing the city’s three-year average suicide rate in 2021-2023 was 11.6 per 100,000 people – compared to England’s rate of 10.7.
The Leeds Strategic Suicide Prevention Group has set a target of recruiting at least 194 Suicide Prevention Champions in the city – one for every Leeds resident who died by suicide between 2019 and 2021, according to Leeds City Council’s most recent suicide audit.
Reducing suicide and the stigma around it is priority among partners across the city, as part of work to make Leeds a mentally healthy city – a key objective in the Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023-2030.
Leeds City Council also commissions the Leeds Suicide Bereavement Service, for anyone affected or bereaved by suicide.
Councillor Fiona Venner, Leeds City Council’s executive member for equality, health and wellbeing, said: “Preventing suicide is a key priority of our public health work and it’s great to see so much happening in the city to break the stigma and amplify awareness of the wide range of support that’s available to anyone who needs it.
“Having such star-powered backing to the Suicide Prevention Champions campaign is incredible and we hope everyone watching this new film feels inspired to join the cause.”
Victoria Eaton, Leeds City Council’s director of public health, added: “Anyone can be a Suicide Prevention Champion – each and every one of us can play our part in bringing the city’s suicide rate down.
“Knowing the signs of when someone might need help and how to have those vital conversations about suicide are skills we can all develop and I would urge everyone to consider signing up to find out more. You might just save a life.”
Image and video credits: Leeds City Council
