There has been significant work in Marlborough by health workers to address the unease/distress amongst both young people and the community regarding the suicides that have occurred in Blenheim recently.

Dr Chris Bowden from the School of Education, Te Herenga Waka/Victoria University of Wellington, has been invited to our community to help acknowledge the impact of suicide and help resource the community to enhance resiliency and connectedness. Dr Bowden is a Lecturer in child and adolescent development and mental health, suicide bereavement and trauma researcher and will be presenting a number of workshops.

Key Aims of the hui/presentations

1. Acknowledge the impact of suicide on youth/rangatahi, families/whānau and the wider community.
2. Provide a safe forum for youth/rangatahi affected by suicide to share their experience, needs, discuss issues and preferred responses (amplifying the voices of those with lived experiences and co-design opportunities).
3. Acknowledge and strengthen the skills, strategies, and resources of youth/rangatahi so they can cope with adversity and suicide bereavement and keep themselves and others safe.
4. Acknowledge and strengthen the knowledge, confidence, and ability of parents/caregivers, family/whānau and wider community to respond to and compassionately, safely, and effectively support young people/rangatahi impacted/bereaved by suicide (building collective ownership and responsibility). (utilising youth/rangatahi voices).
5. Enhance resiliency, positive relationships, and connectedness between youth/rangatahi and their families/whānau and wider community support services (enhance trust, help-seeking, and help offering).

Please see below a poster outlining the hui/presentations on offer.