Shifties, a community organisation in St Neots, has partnered with Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire Mind (CPSL Mind), a leading mental health charity, to deliver suicide prevention training.

Suicidal thoughts affect a significant number of people, with 1-in-5 individuals in the UK experiencing such thoughts in their lifetime.

Recognising the importance of mental health awareness and suicide prevention, Shifties and CPSL Mind have joined forces to offer comprehensive training sessions.

The free STOP Suicide training is on offer in St Neots and aims to equip 200 individuals with the knowledge and skills to identify a person at risk of suicide and equip the community to support that individual to stay safe.

The Hunts Post: Shifties have partnered with CPSL Mind to help equip more than 200 individuals with the skills to keep people at risk in their communities safe.Shifties have partnered with CPSL Mind to help equip more than 200 individuals with the skills to keep people at risk in their communities safe. (Image: Shifties)

The training sessions are made possible by funds raised during the successful 2023 24-hour Speak Up Liveathon hosted by Shifties.

Just under £10,000 was raised during the Liveathon, hosted on January 16, a day known as Blue Monday.

The Liveathon was a 24-hour live stream featuring special guests and mental health champions who spoke to help prevent negative thinking and make Blue Monday a little brighter for everyone.

READ MORE: Business names CPSL Mind its charity of the year

Thanks to the money raised, participants in the STOP Suicide training can learn how to identify individuals at risk, initiate conversations about suicide, assist those in need, and take care of their own wellbeing.

The programme includes a STOP Suicide awareness talk taking place on Wednesday, September 13, at St Neots Town Football Club and a STOP Suicide Online Workshop taking place on Thursday, September 14.

The Hunts Post: Shifties founder Alex Hughes, Jamie Archer, Dani Bridge (holding Alex's son) and Luke Newman.Shifties founder Alex Hughes, Jamie Archer, Dani Bridge (holding Alex's son) and Luke Newman. (Image: Shifties)

The training sessions are open to all members of the community.

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A spokesperson for Shifties said: "Shifties encourages participants to share this opportunity with friends, family, and colleagues, ensuring that as many people as possible benefit from this essential training.

"Together, we can create a community that is equipped to recognise and support individuals at risk of suicide."

To book a place in the training, you can register through the Shifites website by visiting: https://shifties.co.uk/stop-suicide/.