Mumbles carol concert raises almost £800 for suicide prevention courses for care-experienced young people

Mumbles Methodist Church has held a Carol Concert with the Black Mountain Choir to raise funds to pay for a course on suicide prevention with Papyrus, a UK organisation dedicated to the prevention of suicide in young people.

Care-experienced young people supported by Action for Children’s Skills for Living will benefit from the course with £500 raised on the night and a further donation of £225 received from Pitton Church.

Alison Long, service coordinator for Action for Children’s Skills Plus service in the Swansea area, said: “Care-experienced young are between four and five times more likely to attempt suicide in adulthood.

“Many of our young people self-harm as a way to cope with overwhelming emotions and talk about and attempt taking their lives.

“For many of our young people Christmas and the new year is a reminder that they don’t have their family, particularly once they have left care, so this time of year can be very challenging.

“The suicide prevention courses offered by Papyrus are a powerful tool in addressing this tragic scenario and I’m delighted all the money raised will go towards providing training for our young people in distress and their significant others to reduce stigma, and encourage positive behaviour change.

“Thank you to everyone who took part and donated to this important cause.”

Action for Children’s Skills Plus service is a psychosocial skills building intervention for young people leaving care aged between 16 and 24. 

The service provides a therapeutic intervention based on Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to improve the emotional and social well-being of young people leaving care. 

Lead image: The Black Mountain Choir with Alison Long (left) and Nia Dunson Davies at Mumbles Methodist Church