Creating hope through action at LifeKeepers

One of the barriers to offering assistance can often be lacking the confidence or knowledge to safely step in or show support. With a kete (basket) of tools to help us identify signs of mental distress, we will hopefully be able to make a difference by creating communities of C.A.R.E.

With over 13,500 people equipped with skills from LifeKeepers to prevent suicide, we know that over 2,000 of these extraordinary individuals have intervened and supported someone thinking of taking their life and engaged them with the right supports to ease their distress. Reducing the number of lives lost by equipping everyday people in suicide prevention is our aim. With this in mind, we take a moment to speak with one of our LifeKeepers who shares their story about the impact the programme has had on them personally.

I was scared to participate in LifeKeepers initially. I thought it might be all doom and gloom but that couldn’t have been further from the truth! From the moment I walked into the room, the aroha, the manaaki and the genuine safety I felt is something that I continue to carry with me. I’ve never had that experience before. I wish I had done LifeKeepers 10 years ago! Since becoming a LifeKeeper, I am more aware and have the confidence to support my loved ones when once I was scared. By communicating with compassion and without judgement I have been able to support people in my life. I’m not a mental health professional, I like to think of myself as a bro-fessional because of the courage I now have to ask somebody if they’re thinking of taking their life. I now realise that there is a lot of support in the community, something I had never seen or thought of before becoming a LifeKeeper. I’m not too small to make a difference. I’m just me and I know that I am part of a bigger picture, this community of LifeKeepers. -KS, LifeKeeper, 2022

Become a LifeKeeper, you never know, you may just save a life – visit www.lifekeepers.nz