Cadets Raise Mental Health Banners

13 May 2019, 06:04 | Updated: 13 May 2019, 06:07

Teenagers across Cumbria are spreading positive messages across the county.

Police cadets have made suicide prevention banners that are going on display as part on mental health awareness week.

Their project has been so well received that two prominent businesses in Cumbria are backing the banners by display them on site, and the Cadets hard work has been recognised with a Citizens in Policing award for, Cadets Group of the Year.

The banner features positive personal messages from the cadets including, 'Nobody is better off without you', 'it's ok, not to be ok' and 'suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem'. It also features numbers for three charities: ChildLine, Samaritans and PAPYRUS.

Cadet, Abigail Garvey, said: "We wanted to create something that could make a difference to our community. These banners are eye catching and will be in places where they can be seen by lots of people.

"We wanted to get people talking, which is why we wrote 'Suicide' in such large letters to grab attention and we wanted to let people know that there is always someone who they can talk to.

"There is such a taboo around this subject, but stress in young people and older generations is increasing, we therefore need to end the taboo.

"Continuing to find ways to raising awareness is also so important, before this project I wouldn't have known what numbers to call if I found myself in need of support for mental health, I hope our banners will make those numbers known to everyone.

"If this banner save even one life, that would be a huge success, and we will have achieved aim of making a difference."

Eden Cadet Leader, Sergeant Tamara Tatton said: "I couldn't be prouder of the cadets, they have truly excelled in this project from start to finish. The results speak for themselves.

"They wanted to create a suicide prevention message that meant something to them, and that would also be a conversation starter for people of any age, across any community.

"Keeping feelings to yourself when your mental health is suffering is never a good option. We encourage the cadets to talk about their mental health openly, as they would if they broke a leg. The more people discussing mental health, like physical health, openly and honestly then we can start to remove any stigma and create positive change."