A new campaign will put suicide-support information on beer mats in pubs, sports clubs and social venues across Gloucestershire, giving people a discreet way to find help without having to start a conversation.
Sunflowers Suicide Support, a Gloucestershire-based charity, is extending its awareness work beyond National Suicide Prevention Month, which takes place in September. The organisation plans to distribute specially designed beer mats, backed by posters, to independent pubs, sports clubs and social clubs throughout the county.
The campaign is intended to make trusted information available in ordinary places where adults already spend time. The materials will include contact details for Sunflowers alongside trusted crisis-support numbers, allowing people to look for help privately and in their own time.
Information designed to be seen discreetly
Sunflowers said it is targeting a wide range of venues and communities, with the campaign designed to reach adults who may be less likely to seek help. The charity also aims to ensure broad geographical coverage across Gloucestershire, making the initiative relevant to people using venues in and around Stroud as well as elsewhere in the county.
The beer mats are intended as a small, familiar prompt rather than a replacement for urgent assistance. By placing the information where people may encounter it during an everyday visit, the campaign seeks to make support easier to find when someone is ready to look for it.
“We know that asking for help can feel difficult. By putting clear, trusted information on something as familiar as a beer mat, we can make support more visible without asking someone to start a conversation before they are ready. A small prompt in the right place could help someone find Sunflowers or urgent support at the moment they need it.”
Hannah Bradley, Sunflowers’ funding and relationship manager, said the approach was intended to reduce the pressure on anyone who might be considering seeking support.
Demand for support has increased
Sunflowers supports children, young people and adults who have been bereaved or affected by suicide. The charity said it had recorded a significant increase in referrals over the past 12 months and continued to face high demand for its services.
That rise in referrals is part of the reason the organisation says it is important to make reliable support information more visible across local communities. The campaign will continue after September’s national awareness month, bringing the message into venues used throughout the year.
People who see the campaign materials will be able to use the contact details printed on them to find Sunflowers’ support, while the accompanying crisis information is intended to help them identify urgent assistance when needed.
