A Blaenau Ffestiniog event organised to raise awareness of the impact of suicide and self harm was well-attended.

Among those at the event, called ‘Stay. You Matter’, was Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts addressed the attendees and took part in the event’s activities, which took place on World Mental Health Day.

‘Stay. You Matter’ on Thursday, 10 October, was organised by Tan Y Maen Wellbeing Centre as a response to concerns about the high levels of suicide and self harm in the area over the past 12-18 months.

Phil Griffiths, the Chief Officer at Tan Y Maen Wellbeing Centre, used the event as a launching pad for the ‘Stay. You Matter’ campaign, which he said he hopes, through a range of active interventions and training for individuals and organisations in the community, will lead to a zero cases of suicide and self-harm in the area.

The day - hosted by local actor and presenter Julian Evans - heard speakers ranging from Teresa Owen, Director of Public Health for BCUHB, the NHS Executive Lead for Suicide Prevention in North Wales, the Samaritans and Papyrus UK as well as those affected by suicide who gave moving and heart-rending accounts of the lives of their relatives now lost and the effect on themselves and their wider circle of family and friends.

There was also space for the creative arts, with community artist and illustrator Stef Woof leading a workshop to create a mural in the Tan Y Maen Community Garden situated to the side of the Church Hall, a performance from the Tan Y Maen Music Therapy / Ukulele Group, led by the vicar of St David's Church in Blaenau Ffestiniog, and a closing set from Lo-Fi Jones, aka brothers Sion and Liam Rickards.

If you would like to find out more about the activities and training planned for the campaign you can contact Tan Y Maen Wellbeing Centre by email on [email protected] or by phone, text and WhatsApp on 07964 858095.

You can also visit their website, www.tanymaen.org.uk, for more information about their work and the local support available.