Skip over main navigation
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
Developing Healthy Communities NI
Tagline goes here
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
Contact us
  • Twitter
Menu
  • About us
    • Who we are
    • Our impact
    • Meet the team
      • Staff
      • Board members
    • News
    • Governance
  • Find support
    • COVID-19 Hub
    • Voluntary organisations
      • Grants
      • Neighbourhood Health Improvement Programme
      • Sport Coaches
    • Workplace health
    • Family support
  • Training
    • Clear training
    • [email protected] training
    • Workplace Health Champions Training
  • Health leadership
    • Self-harm and mental health
    • Families' Voices Forum
    • WHO European Healthy Cities
    • Healthy Cities News
    • Research and resources
    • Public Health Agency Standards
    • Blogs
  • Projects
    • WHO Healthy Cities
    • Clear project
    • [email protected]
      • [email protected] NI
      • Work Well Live Well
    • Families Voices Forum
      • Forum meetings
      • Community workshops and conferences
      • Consultations
      • Resources
      • Families' Voices blog
  • Get involved
    • Partner with us
    • Job vacancies
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • families-voices-forum
  1. Home
  2. Families Voices Forum

Families Voices Forum

About us

The Families Voices Forum is a regional volunteer group of individuals and families bereaved by suicide.

The Forum has been existence since 2006 and was critical in the development of the original Protect Life Strategy and again in the revised Protect Life 2 Strategy.

Read Protect Life 2 Strategy

The Forum networks with:

  • Bereaved by Suicide Support Groups across the country
  • community and voluntary sector groups that may provide support to those bereaved or provide suicide prevention support, and
  • bereaved individuals and families (known as postvention) to ensure communications are open both ways and that messages being given by the forum reflect shared concerns across the country.

Read more about Postvention

The Forum aims to work collaboratively with those in positions of authority to ensure families’ voices of lived experience are at the heart of decision making in the shift towards a co-design, co-production model of change which reduces suicide rates in Northern Ireland.

Achievements to date

  • Appropriate mandatory training on suicide awareness for all frontline staff, the police and teachers, now monitored and evaluated regionally.
  • The development of a regionally available booklet of support for families bereaved by suicide.
  • The development of a cross-border leaflet to help police working on border towns give the right support and guidance to families and friends following a suicide.
  • Ensuring the new Protect Life 2 strategy retained a focus upon reducing the suicide rates in Northern Ireland, defined by a measurable target.
  • Information sharing at community events across the region, as well as information giving at 6 regional conferences and the All-Party Working Group on Suicide.
  • We consult with the Chief Medical Officer and Health Minister on key action points.
  • We network with over 24 bereaved by suicide support groups across the country and a further 5 bereavement services globally.
  • We consult over 112 family members directly in our work.

Join us

Our Forum is open to all. We would welcome your input.

Register your interest

Families Voices Forum tells Suicide Prevention Committee 'Action is needed NOW'

Families Voices Forum tells Suicide Prevention Committee 'Action is needed NOW'

Our Family Voices project was recently asked to present their insights to the Northern Ireland Assembly's All Party Group on suicide prevention. Read more

Published: 22nd May, 2020

Updated: 15th October, 2020

Related topics:
  • Our impact
  • Families Voices blog
  • Families Voices Forum
Resources

Resources

Useful guidance and information documents which provide useful information on suicide prevention. Read more

Published: 26th November, 2019

Updated: 15th October, 2020

Author:

Related topics:
  • Families Voices Forum
Community workshops and conferences

Community workshops and conferences

Forum members are offered the opportunity to attend a variety of conferences about suicide, with tickets and expenses paid for. Read more

Published: 26th November, 2019

Updated: 7th July, 2020

Author:

Related topics:
  • Families Voices Forum
Forum meetings

Forum meetings

We encourage members to attend local or regional meetings and use their experience to express common concerns held by families. Read more

Published: 26th November, 2019

Updated: 8th October, 2020

Author:

Related topics:
  • Our projects
  • Family support
  • Families Voices Forum
Consultations

Consultations

Families Voices members take part in public consultations and share their opinions on new initiatives Read more

Published: 26th November, 2019

Updated: 29th June, 2020

Author:

Related topics:
  • Families Voices Forum
Back to top

Showing 10 of 5

Latest

  • Healthy start to 2021

    Healthy start to 2021

    If healthier eating was one of your New Year resolutions, then you will be interested in this series of free online workshops on food and nutrition.

  • Making the most of your food parcel

    Making the most of your food parcel

    Simple recipes to produce more balanced meals on a budget. Click on the link below to access this handy guide from the WHSCT, ‘Get cooking...making the most of your food parcel’

  • Derry City & Strabane unites with the WHO European Region to stop COVID-19 and build a better urban life

    Derry City & Strabane unites with the WHO European Region to stop COVID-19 and build a better urban life

    The Derry City & Strabane District's Deputy Lord Mayor joined local authority colleagues from across Europe to analyse good practices and to find ways to build back better.

  • Hope is a teachable skill

    Hope is a teachable skill

    Free training programme available for Community & Voluntary organisations in the Western Trust area. Hope Matters is a new skills programme developed by RESILIO.

Most read

  • New £3m COVID-19 recovery fund for VCSE sector

    New £3m COVID-19 recovery fund for VCSE sector

    Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has launched the £3.3 million Voluntary, Community and Social Economy Sector (VCSE) Covid Recovery Fund to continue her Department’s support of this vital sector.

  • Keep Learning for better mental health and wellbeing

    Keep Learning for better mental health and wellbeing

    Find out how your company’s team can access free support to keep learning about ways to enjoy better health and wellbeing. By Sabrina Moore, Manager, [email protected]

  • Healthy start to 2021

    Healthy start to 2021

    If healthier eating was one of your New Year resolutions, then you will be interested in this series of free online workshops on food and nutrition.

  • Guidance on reopening facilities and resuming activities

    Guidance on reopening facilities and resuming activities

    This page features guidance and resources for community and voluntary groups who are re-opening facilities or resuming activities after COVID-19 lockdown.

  • FREE Equipment and Training for Sports Clubs

    FREE Equipment and Training for Sports Clubs

    Learn how to apply to the Clear Project and Public Health Agency for free equipment and wellbeing training for your sports club.

  • Developing Healthy Communities to feature at Joint Public Health Annual Conference

    Developing Healthy Communities to feature at Joint Public Health Annual Conference

    Erin McFeely, chief executive of Developing Healthy Communities, is among the speakers to feature at the Joint Public Health Annual Conference on 17th November.

  • Reaching out with mental health training

    Reaching out with mental health training

    During this pandemic, we know that it is increasingly important to look after our own mental health and that of others. The Clear Project has been working with the PHA to find innovative ways to work with harder to reach groups.

  • Job vacancies

    Job vacancies

    Current opportunities for employment and jobs at Developing Healthy Communities

  • Voluntary Board Members

    Voluntary Board Members

    We’re looking for enthusiastic individuals with a broad spectrum of knowledge, skills and experience to join our Board during a time of diversification.

  • Connection - It's more important than ever

    Connection - It's more important than ever

    Developing Healthy Cities Chief Executive Erin Richardson writes about the growing recognition of just how important connection with others is to our mental health and wellbeing.

Latest tweet

Sign up for our newsletter

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please enter your email address Please enter a valid email address (e.g. [email protected])

Derry – Londonderry

Building 83
Ledwidge Avenue
Ebrington
Derry -Londonderry
BT47 6GZ

T: 028 71 383386  
E: [email protected]

Strabane

Unit 13, Strabane Enterprise Agency
Orchard Road Industrial Estate
Strabane
BT82 9FR

T: 028 7138 3386
E: [email protected]

  • Jobs
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Developing Healthy Communities (DHC) Ltd. Registered in Northern Ireland. Company No. 640806.
Registered with the Charities Commission for Northern Ireland NIC105780