Special service to remember those lost to suicide

A special service will be held to remember those who have lost their lives to suicide.

The ceremony will take place at council HQ in Cotton Street, Paisley, where there is a memorial tree for victims of suicide.

The event is being organised by the Renfrewshire support group of Survivors of Bereavement through Suicide (SOBS), and will be attended by Provost Anne Hall.

The service will take place on Thursday 17 January and will be led by Reverend Alan Birss and Father Stephen Baillie.

This will be the fourth year of the event – with the original tree dedication in 2010 thought to have been the first of its kind in Scotland.

Renfrewshire_Council_ezg_1Provost Hall said: “This is a worthy cause which we are happy to be able to support, and I want to extend the invite to any local people who wish to join us on the day.

“Suicide can affect people of all ages and backgrounds, but people should be aware there are various groups which can offer help, and that talking about it can save lives.”

Friends and relatives should meet from 3.15pm in the Marriage Suite at Renfrewshire Council to collect a commemorative purple heart on which they can write a message for their loved one.

The service will start at 3.45pm, after which there will be a procession to the tree, where the Provost will lay a wreath and visitors will be able to place purple hearts on the tree.

Afterwards, all attending are invited to join the Provost for refreshments in Paisley Abbey.

The event is being supported by Choose Life, the national strategy to prevent suicide in Scotland.

For more information on the Renfrewshire meetings of SOBS, call the local Choose Life co-ordinator on 0141 849 2200.

The national helpline Breathing Space can be reached on 0800 83 85 87, and the number for The Samaritans is 08457 90 90 90.

 

For regular updates on local news and events follow @RenCouncilNews on Twitter or our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/renfrewshirecouncil.

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