£10 million Suicide Prevention Grant Fund: Five Yorkshire charities among 79 receiving grants

Yorkshire charities have been granted a total of £353,762 as part of the government’s Suicide Prevention VCSE Grant Fund.

A total of 79 organisations, including a suicide prevention helpline, will receive a portion of the £10 million allocated.

The fund was announced in the 2023 Autumn Statement to support charities in either meeting increased demand for suicide prevention services, or to support a range of activities that can help to prevent suicides in England.

The five Yorkshire charities awarded grants include Bradford Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Survivors Service, which was awarded £95,580.00, Roundabout Homeless Charity which was awarded £88,184.00, Saffron Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron), £38,127.00, Samaritans of Harrogate and District which was awarded £8,500.00, and The Warren of Hull Ltd which was awarded £123,371.00.

Bradford Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Survivors Service is a feminist organisation run by women for women and girls and has been around for over 40 years.

The charity works with women and girls to help them recover from sexual violence and take control of their lives.

Roundabout Homeless Charity is on a mission to make sure that no young person experiences homelessness in South Yorkshire.

The charity works to “empower young people to break the cycle of homelessness by helping them develop long-term independent living skills and supporting them with their health, education, employment and training needs”.

Saffron Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service offers specialist one-to-one psychotherapy and wellbeing for women in Sheffield who are survivors of abuse and trauma either as a child or in adulthood.

Samaritans of Harrogate and District is part of the wider national charity that works to reduce feelings of isolation and disconnection that can lead to suicide.

The Warren Youth Project, in Hull, has been running for over 40 years and is a charity that provides vital support services to young people in Hull.

Julia Bentley, CEO of Samaritans, said: “This funding will help Samaritans continue our mission to save lives.

“The voluntary sector plays a crucial part in suicide prevention and, in this challenging environment, financial support for charities has never been more important.

“Today’s announcement is a welcome step towards the resourcing needed to deliver the national suicide prevention strategy.”