A suicide prevention sign was recently "vandalized" with positivity in London—turns out, Brits are very eager to share positive messages as it's not the first!
One such person, Paige Hunter, has stood out with her suicide prevention notes found in Sunderland, England
Paige Hunter is a 21-year-old who, a couple years back, decided to write up some positive words and phrases to be put on the Wearmouth Bridge in her hometown of Sunderland, England.
Each piece of paper was written on colored note paper using markers of various colors. The pieces of paper were also laminated so that they wouldn’t be affected by the weather.
The various notes include relatively short messages showing care and support for a potential suicide victim. These include a number of strong phrases, like You have the power to say ‘This is not how my story will end,’ The world is much better with you in it, If you end it now, you will be so deeply missed, Step back! You’re worth it, and a bunch of others.
Hunter calls these Notes of Hope as they aim to do exactly that—give hope to those who need it the most. It is her special way of telling people that they matter and that there are countless people who care for them, even if they don’t know them. It’s a sign of love and respect for others in need of support.
It is said that she has placed over 40 notes, each with a bit of unique text. A couple years back, it was reported that Hunter had managed to save the lives of 6 people, though her description on Facebook today says that the number has increased a bit over fourfold—it is now 28.
Hunter has received recognition for her actions. Namely, on July 16th, 2018, Northumbria Police awarded her a Commander’s Compliment for her positive action to help with the prevention of suicide. This is besides many internauts commending her for it online.
As mentioned previously, Hunter isn’t the only one who’s been doing so. Similar laminated notes were also found on other bridges around the UK, namely in Gwent, Cwmbran, Pontypool, Glasgow, a bridge over A14, and a number of other places.
This just goes to show that people are not indifferent to the problem of suicide in the UK and that it ought to be resolved.
If you or anyone in your social circles are contemplating suicide, please do not hesitate to seek help by contacting your local suicide hotline or service easily found by means of Google or other online search engines.
It goes without saying that you matter, that there is nothing wrong with you, that the world is not an inherently bad place, and that without you, the world just wouldn’t be right.
