Frequently Asked Questions
Please reach us at info@violetproject.co.uk if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Absolutely! We would love that and can help support you to promote your efforts.
Suicide and Self-harm are everyone’s business and we are always pleased to have people support us to help the community.
We are a registered charity (1407429) and are eligible for fundraising through JustGiving , and Gift Aid, along with Facebook birthday fundraisers!
Please get in touch!
Suicide and Self-harm are everyone’s business.
Yes, granted it won’t affect everyone, but it can affect anyone, at any time.
Suicide and Self-harm don’t care about age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality or disability etc. That’s why it’s important we work to embed prevention in all communities and at all stages of life.
Encouraging the conversation in our younger generation, in age-appropriate language is really important. It encourages the future adults to understand why talking about mental health is OK and should be encouraged!
Self-harm may look different for different people. There are many things that people do to themselves in a deliberate and often hidden way like cutting, burning, overdosing, scratching, biting, hair pulling and pinching themselves.
- Dressing inappropriately for the weather, such as wearing long-sleeved tops in the summer
- Avoiding activities that expose the body, such as swimming
- Washing clothes separately
- Interacting less or performing activities less well at home, school or work
- Having unexplained wounds or unlikely justifications for injuries
- Hiding potentially dangerous objects, such as razor blades or cigarette lighters
- Change in their mood/ mood swings
- Changes from their usual eating and sleeping schedule
- Expressing feelings of Depression and/or Anxiety
Suicide is no longer classed as a criminal act.
Changes made in the Suicide Act of 1961 decriminalised the act of suicide in the UK.
The word ‘commit’ treats it as if it were still a crime, the same as ‘committed a bank robbery’ or ‘committed a crime’ .
It feeds into the stigma around suicide and can be offensive to families and friends.
Other ways to talk about suicide are:
- Died by suicide
- Ended their own life
- Took their own life
- Killed themselves
- Suicided (Stems from Die/Died)
Or simply.... They died!
Violet Project really do care about promoting and preventing suicide. We all have a personal connection to suicide and we genuinely want to promote good mental health. We are a registered charity and overseen by the charity commission to ensure our work meets the charity's objectives.
It's not about making money and we have very low overheads. Yes of course we need to make money, to allow us to do the work, to reinvest and support in the community. However, we have little overheads, no huge core/central costs and no ridiculous salaries!
We don’t like charging for our services but we need to cover costs and all money received allows us to support the community.
We try to keep costs low and service standards high!
Yes, there are time which include:
- If you tell us that you have taken steps to end your life and you do not feel able to get the help you need for yourself.
- If you tell us that you have the means to end your life, you are unable to keep yourself safe from suicide, or are unsure, and you do not feel able to get the help you need for yourself.
- We believe that you or someone else has been, or is, at risk of serious harm.
- We are told about acts of terrorism or bomb warnings.
While self-harm can be an indicator of increased risk of suicide, in itself it does not mean that a person actively wants to die. With the right support, such as talking therapy, individuals can learn to understand themselves and create better alternative coping strategies.
Suicidal feelings can mean having abstract thoughts about ending your life or feeling that people would be better off without you. Or it can mean thinking about methods of suicide or making clear plans to take your own life.
The NICE definition of self-harm is non-fatal intentional self-poisoning or self-injury. It includes acts to deal with overwhelming thoughts or feelings, as well as attempted suicide.
There is no one typical person who hurts themselves. Self-harm can take many forms, including self-injury, self-poisoning and sometimes risky behaviours such as extreme exercising, getting into fights or abusing alcohol.
When people are suffering acute distress, self-harm can be a way to release the feelings; or feel something more manageable. It can reduce overwhelming thoughts or help escape distressing memories. It can help overcome feeling numb or disconnected.
Anyone can feel suicidal and it can be for any reason.
Many people feel suicidal because they feel isolated and alone; because something has happened which feels too overwhelming; because being alive feels too hard; or maybe because they feel trapped and unable to escape from a situation.
Life experiences can also lead to feeling suicidal. Abuse, assault, a job loss, money worries, addiction, bullying, bereavement and sexuality worries might be struggles which lead someone to think about suicide.
Struggling with your mental health can also make it more difficult for you to cope with everyday things too, which can leave you feeling even more trapped or hopeless. We want to reassure you that help is available and that with the right help and support you can start to feel more hopeful and in control of your life.
What’s important to know is that whatever the reasons are for you feeling suicidal, your reasons are significant and valid. Whatever it is that is troubling you, if it is making you think about dying, please do contact one of the support services under our HELP NOW section.
‘Suicidal intent’ is used when someone has thoughts of suicide which have developed further into thinking about how they may end their life. This could include specific, detailed plans about what they will do and when, or a stated intention to act on their thoughts, even if some of the details are not decided on.
The term ‘suicidal ideation’ is used to describe a situation where a person may be having thoughts about suicide but have not made plans to act on those thoughts.
Violet Project really do care about preventing suicide. We all have a personal connection to suicide and/or self-harm and we genuinely want to promote good mental health.
So yes, of course!
If there is something you would like us to offer in terms of support, staff debrief, training or consultancy work.
If there is something that you can't see on our website, then please get in touch!
At the coroners’ court they will hold an inquest.
An inquest is to determine how, when and where someone has died, but not why. It is an
investigation to ascertain the facts concerning a death and does not apportion blame on any individual.
A Coroner’s Officer is responsible for investigating the cause of death and presenting the evidence in court on the day of the Inquest.
A Coroner may hold an Inquest with a Jury in certain circumstances. These are usually deaths in prison and in Police custody or resulting from an injury involving a Police Officer, also industrial accidents and deaths which are prejudicial to the health and safety of the public.
A Jury comprises of between 7 and 11 members of the public. It is the Coroner’s duty to direct the Jury on the law and to sum up the evidence.’ Courts Support Service
Family and other relatives, friends and witnesses may attend. The Inquest and all proceedings before the coroner, are open to members of the public and the Press.
The Press may ask the family for a statement or an interview after the Inquest has finished. You do not have to do this unless you wish to do so. Violet Project have some standard statements under our resource section you are welcome to use and issue via the court staff to the press.
We also can handle inquiries for you, please get in touch for an initial chat and we can take it from there. Please email us at pressoffice@violetproject.co.uk
If you have another question, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team who are more than happy to help. Info@violetproject.co.uk
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