𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A charity founded by a former cabinet minister has distributed nearly £1million in an effort to spare families the grief of losing a loved one to suicide. The Rose Paterson Trust is ramping up activity as it warns that the number of people recorded as taking their lives is the “highest since 1999”.

The trust was founded following the suicide of Rose Paterson, the wife of former Conservative minister Owen Paterson, six years ago this month. The family launched the venture with the goal: “If we can help save just one family from the agony of suicide, this initiative will have been worth it.”

Mr Paterson said: “Roughly every three minutes someone in the UK tries to take their own life; every 90 minutes someone in the UK dies by suicide.“However, suicide is preventable. Nine out of 10 people who survive a suicide attempt do not go on to die of suicide. This shows that death by suicide is preventable and is not ‘inevitable’ – a stigma that adversely affects suicide prevention strategies. So, there is hope.”

The charity warns that in the 17 years since 2007, the number of registered suicides has increased by 44%. This year it is distributing grants totalling £235,000.

It estimates the work of groups receiving grants has “indirectly saved more than 4,000 people”. These include the Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team, Bearded Fishermen, Every Life Matters, Scarborough Survivors, Shropshire Mental Health Support and Suicide Prevention UK.

The former Environment Secretary and Northern Ireland Secretary pledged: “I will never stop fighting to prevent other families feeling the heart-wrenching pain that my family has suffered… Considering the long-term effect of inter-generational trauma, one suicide could impact thousands of lives.”

There were 6,190 suicides registered in England and Wales in 2024 – a rate of 11.4 per 100,000 people. The rate for men was 17.6, compared to 5.7 for women.

The rate for men was highest for those aged 50 to 54 (27.5). Among women, it was highest in the 45-49 age group (7.9).

London had the lowest suicide rate of any region in England (8.3) while the North East had the highest rate (15.1).

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Every suicide is a tragedy, and our deepest sympathies go out to anyone who has been affected by it. It is vital that anyone struggling with their mental health can access the timely help and support they need. That is why we are increasing funding for mental health services to a record £16.1billion, improving support for those who have self-harmed or are bereaved by suicide, and have recruited 8,500 mental health workers three years ahead of schedule.”