SILENCE fell upon the Reflective Gardens at Vansittart Park last week as those affected by the impacts of suicide gathered together for International Suicide Survivors Day.
A small group attended the event on Thursday night, uniting survivors of suicide loss and providing an opportunity to remember their loved ones and offer support.
StandBy Support After Suicide coordinator Tracey Wanganeen read a poem, while response team member Linda Kuchel provided tips on how to cope with grief and loss.
Following the short service, attendees were encouraged to take a candle in remembrance of their loved ones.
Ms Wanganeen said the event provided attendees with a chance to connect with others in the community and share their stories of healing and hope.
She said attendance numbers were slightly up this year.
“We get roughly the same number every year and there are a lot of familiar faces, but we certainly had some new faces, which was great to see,” she said.
“I was really happy with the number of people attending and people did stay around and used the time to chat.
“There is obviously value in being together with people who are experiencing grief and loss.”
Ms Wanganeen said the new addition of live music and pizzas was successful in retaining attendees at the site.
“Having the music in the background was nice and we have not done it in awhile,” she said.
“I think it makes people feel more comfortable and it provides them with some background noise so they can talk freely if they want.”
Anyone experiencing feelings of distress can contact Lifeline’s 24 hour crisis hotline on 131 114 or StandBy’s 24 hour hotline on 0437 752 458.
