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)
  • Community workshops and conferences
  1. Projects
  2. Families Voices Forum
  3. Community workshops and conferences

Community workshops and conferences

Community Workshops

Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, community events are currently postponed. However, if you have ideas for what you would like to see in your community, let us know. We are always guided by our members’ views on what’s needed in their area and we value members’ advice on venues, food, travel and accommodation.

Conferences

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

We only ask that if you attend on our behalf, you share a little bit of feedback about your experience and learning whilst there.

Members also attend local and regional community well-being events, as organisers, participants, information stall holders or as guest speakers – it’s up to you how you get involved!

Forthcoming conferences

We keep in close contact with Dr Sharon McDonnell at the University of Manchester. Sharon has been bereaved by suicide and set up SOBS: a leading national service to support families bereaved by suicide

She also heads up the world’s largest research project involving families bereaved by suicide during 2019-20 to help influence positive change in support offered to those affected by this loss. Sharon organises the following annual conference, which members have attended in the past. Here are the details for 2020: 

Suicide Bereavement UK Conference: Using our collective voice

18-19 November 2020: Suicide Bereavement UK's ninth annual conference bringing together 17 speakers and six workshops over two days in Manchester.

Read more

Learnings from previous conferences

International Association for Suicide Prevention

This worldwide conference, held in Derry/Londonderry last year, had speakers from across the globe sharing research, information and ideas on how they are addressing suicide in their country.

Seven forum members attended this week long event where they heard:

  • The latest information about suicide in high risk groups
  • New ways of delivering services in communities
  • How technology can be used to identify and support those experiencing suicidal ideation
  • Inspirational new projects that are happening and the challenges being faced by different countries in reducing their suicide rates

We then had the opportunity to feedback to the Protect Life Groups about our experience there and what we thought may be useful in our areas for the future.

Two key messages came out of this for forum members:

  1. Working collaboratively with people who have lived experience is key to making changes successful
  2. We all enjoyed the ‘down time’ together, where we could spend time laughing and enjoying ourselves as a group of people with a common interest.
See the lived experience panel discussion:



Towards Zero Suicide Regional Launch

Families Voices Forum members attended the launch of the Towards Zero Suicide (TZS) work stream and presented a talk about Improving Families' Experiences of Adult Mental Health Services.

TZS derived from the recognition of suicides being preventable, something that was not always traditionally believed. If suicide is seen as preventable, then there are things we can do that enable hospitals and other controlled settings to significantly reduce deaths by suicide.

One thing we remain mindful of is the response of families to this change in culture.

Seeing suicide as recognisable and preventable can cause harm to some family members who may continue to feel guilt and blame for not recognising signs or who often report no signs of suicidal ideas being present prior to the death of their loved one. It will take careful discussions to enable everyone to accept and understand the goal, which is ultimately to bring hope where currently hopelessness exists, saving lives in the process.

See Families Voices Forum's presentation on Improving Families' Experiences of Adult Mental Health Services

Zero Suicide Alliance Third National Conference

Members flew to London to take part in this conference which focused upon 3 aspects of innovation and change in order to better support a reduction in suicide rates:

  • The Digital zone: Digital resources to support suicide prevention - a digital space demonstrating different resources to support a comprehensive suicide prevention strategy
  • The Best Practice zone: Community based opportunities for targeted communities at risk - demonstrating innovative and interesting opportunities for community asset-based development informed by the picture of local needs through the leaders resource.
  • The Culture zone: Culture change tools - demonstrating the tools to achieve cultural changes required for rapid system change in suicide prevention.

Published: 26th November, 2019

Updated: 7th July, 2020

Author:

Related topics:
  • Families Voices Forum
Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

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.

Related

  • 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.

  • Resources

    Resources

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

  • Forum meetings

    Forum meetings

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

  • Consultations

    Consultations

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

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.

  • Job vacancies

    Job vacancies

    Current opportunities for employment and jobs at Developing Healthy Communities

  • 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.

  • 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