Fundraising bid for communities affected by suicide

HUNDREDS are expected to walk, or run, into the dawn at the University of Limerick Campus on May 8 in an expression of hope and support for local communities affected by suicide.

The event is being organised to raise funds for Pieta House, Ireland’s only centre for the prevention of suicide and self-harm.

Studies have found that Limerick has the highest rate in the country for self-harm among males and females aged 15 to 19.

Dublin-based Pieta House plans to open a second national centre in Limerick this year.

Over 500 die by suicide in Ireland every year. Pieta House has experienced a 48% increase in new clients this year to date.

Since March 2009, it emerged, Pieta House has provided almost 800 new clients with professional suicide and self-harm prevention therapy. It attributes the increase in suicide rates to the recession and the growth of social networking sites.

The group has provided therapy to over 1,000 people altogether this year which is an increase of 48.5% on this time last year.

The charity aims to raise €100,000 this year in its annual fundraising event, Darkness Into Light, which also takes place in the Phoenix Park on Saturday, May 8.

Commenting on the increase in new clients, Joan Freeman, head of Pieta House said: “There is a definite change in the demographic of those that use our service. Suicidal ideation in men has been well documented, however, in the last few months, we have seen a rise in suicidal and self-harm behaviour in children. We have seen children as young as 7, and also teachers who have been seriously affected by suicides within their schools and are concerned about the growth in imitation suicide. We are a small voluntary organisation based in Lucan in Dublin. We are the only organisation in the country providing this therapeutic service and as result, we are inundated with demand. Unfortunately, we can no longer support the demand with the resources available to us. It costs approximately €600,000 a year to keep Pieta House in operation and only 15% of this is provided by state funding. We simply cannot continue to supply this service on this basis.”

It plans to expand its services further later this year with the opening of the country’s second Pieta House in Limerick.

The Darkness into Light event raised €35,000 for the charity in its inaugural year last year and, this year, it hopes to raise over €100,000.