Just a few dates for the diary….
Save the date: World Suicide Awareness Day 10th September
This year Bury will be holding a vigil to remember those members of our community we have lost to suicide, The Big Fandango in partnership with members of the Bury Suicide Prevention Group are busy planning, please save the date.
We are planning a peaceful procession from the Town Hall to outside Castle Leisure on Bolton Street to unveil a memorial stone that has been donated by The Big Fandango. The procession will start at approx. 5 pm and will be led by Bury’s Bloco Ashe Samba Band.
During the procession, 47 flags will be carried to represent each life lost to suicide throughout Bury over the last 3 years.
If anyone wishes to contribute to the cost of flags and the memorial stone, Rebecca Jackson at The Big Fandango is organising the fundraising and can be contacted at info@thebigfandango.com
Bury Jubilee Quilt Project
We have received funding from Bury’s Jubilee Fund to produce a commemorative quilt in partnership with Rammy Men and Creative Living Centre in Prestwich.
Every Monday from 1-5pm we are running free Jubilee Quilt sessions at The Big Fandango at 34 Bolton Street , Bury BL9 0LL ( we are an adult only venue). We’d like to invite people to come along with any memories they have of Bury over the last 70 years of Her Majesty’s reign You can bring along photo’s which we reproduce onto fabric and any fabrics they wish to use ( please bear in mind any fabrics cannot be returned). No sewing skills are needed and we will be on hand to help you make a square to be included on the quilt.
All squares need to be completed by mid September and the final piece will be sewn together to be displayed in Bury at the end of the year.
Suicide Prevention Training
We run monthly suicide prevention training sessions at The Big Fandango for anyone in the community ( over 18’s ) which have been funded by Bury’s Health Improvement Fund. So far we have trained over 120 people across the borough .
Our Where There’s Light Suicide Prevention Course is for any Private, public and 3rd sector organisation as we believe this training is crucial within the community to save lives. We lose approx 2 people a month to suicide Bury , it is one of the most preventable deaths as if we can recognise the signs , know how to effectively signpost and safety plan, we can really make a difference. .
The course is 3 hour long and covers the following:
- Understanding the statistics
- Recognising the signs
- Opening up a conversation around suicide
- Signposting
- Safety Planning.
We have 15 free places each month. The next course is on Wednesday 24th August 2 – 5pm at The Big Fandango, 34 Bolton St, Bury BL9 0LL
Outreach Training
In addition we can deliver to larger employers or those who wish to run an in-house session in Bury. In this instance we would need a minimum of 8 attendees and no more than 15. As our funding only covers the training here with 1-2 places per organisation, there is a specially reduced price for outreach sessions at £30 per attendee. I can organise a session for your group – all proceeds will enable us to continue with the training once the funding ends.