Stormont ceremony for suicide awareness group

A suicide awareness group is to hold a poignant sunrise ceremony at Stormont this week.

As day breaks over Belfast on Wednesday morning families who have lost loved ones to suicide will take part in a walk entitled ’Out of the Darkness’.

The group will make its way up Stormont’s avenue towards parliament buildings at 6am, where dawn will be marked by the release of balloons to represent those who have died in the last year.

Jean Carson, a volunteer with the Suicide Awareness and Support Group organising the event, lost her son Paul Anthony when he died by suicide in July 1999 aged just 21.

She said it was hoped the event would send a positive message to those in pain.

“We would see people in these circumstances often saying they are in a very dark place,” she said.

“So we want to give people that hope that you can walk out of the darkness and into the light.”

She said it is only the second year the group has held such an event and it is the first time it is being held at Stormont.

The group is based in west Belfast, but Jean said it welcomes people from all areas and has invited groups from other parts of the North Ireland to attend.

The torch-lit walk will also be accompanied by a choir and the organisers have issued an open invitation to members of the public to attend.

The awareness group was formed by bereaved families in May 2000.