COMMUNITY members bereaved by suicide will gather at Vansittart Park’s reflective garden on Monday to mark International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day.
The commemorative event is staged by StandBy and provides loss survivors an opportunity to find comfort while sharing stories of healing and hope.
StandBy Support After Suicide coordinator Tracey Wanganeen said the informal event attracted around 20 people each year.
“The importance of the event is to bring people together that have been bereaved by suicide, or even if you have not been bereaved but you would just like to show your support,” she said.
“It is really informal I usually do a little five-minute bit of information for people and then just invite them to stay and mingle.”
Ms Wanganeen said while support services such as StandBy, Lifeline and the Mount Gambier and District Suicide Prevention Network provided essential support, many bereaved individuals have not felt comfortable to reach out.
“People find it difficult to do that because there has been so much stigma in the past and there still is, but we are breaking it down,” she said.
“People that have been bereaved do not feel free to talk about their loved ones or are sometimes worried people might be making judgements.
“It is hard for them to reach out and a lot of people are hesitant to offer their support, not because they are judging, but because they do not know what to say because they do not want to distress people.
“They find it easy to say nothing – there is a little bit of a barrier to that support which is something we try to break down.”
Ms Wanganeen encouraged community members who would not normally speak about their loss to attend next week’s event.
“We really hope to connect those people and help them realise there are other people going through a similar situation,” she said.
“Some people just come briefly and drift away without saying too much or others stay and chat.
“It does not matter how they choose to participate, it just gives that added bit of support.”
Ms Wanganeen hoped the event would bring more light to the reflective garden, which aims to offer a safe and respectful space for people to reflect and remember their loved ones.
“The garden is a lovely place where people can come to sit and remember their loved ones,” she said.
“Unfortunately a lot of people may live away from where their loved ones are buried or they may have been cremated so they do not have that special place to stop and think about them.
“That is what the reflective garden is for.”
The event starts at 5.30pm on Monday and finger food will be provided.
StandBy staff will be available to field and questions or concerns.
Contact Ms Wanganeen via standby@unitingcommunities.org or on 0437 752 458 for further information.
