Safe Space for those in distress and suicidal crisis

Dear Community Members,

A call to action from our community – we need your help to prevent suicide on our local Northern Beaches!

We need your support! MoWaNa Safe Space is striving to have our own community hub to better serve those in need. Your generous donations can make this vision a reality. We already pay rent monthly to use our current space, we pay hire fees to use other spaces for workshops. With our own space we can open the hours that really suit the community, we can run wellness workshops to help the community, We can upskill vulnerable people, we can have a men’s shed and a women’s shed, a central area to hold gatherings to build community. Break out rooms for private conversations. We can have an outdoor area for growing our own Fruit and vegies. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone in our community knew there was a place they could go to that is open 7 days where they could feel safe to go to? You never know when it might be your family member or friend that needs a space like this.

This is about Community for Community and as the saying goes, “You build it, they will come”.

Here’s why your help is crucial:

We have an economic and housing crisis!

The costs of basic food items, petrol and heating are all skyrocketing!

Many of us are stretched to the max and this leads to many mental and physical health issues!

We are unable to get the number of suicides in our Council area which bothers me. Perhaps you can let me know what they are if you are in the KNOW!

**Urgent Need for Support**

According to the New South Wales Suicide Monitoring System (NSW SuMS) report for January 2024 (NSW Health 2024):

A total of 940 suspected or confirmed suicide deaths was recorded for the full year in 2023.

- This was a slight decrease from 960 in 2022.

** Recent Data Highlights **

- 83 suspected deaths by suicide were recorded between January 1 and January 31, 2024, compared to 89 in the same period in 2023.

- In 2023, 733 males and 207 females were suspected or confirmed to have died by suicide in NSW.

- Nearly 78% of these deaths were among males.

**Age Group Insights**

For males, the highest numbers of suspected or confirmed suicide deaths were in the age groups:

- 45 to 54 years (147 deaths)

- 55 to 64 years (131 deaths)

- 35 to 44 years (120 deaths)

- 25 to 34 years (114 deaths)

For females, the highest numbers of suspected or confirmed suicide deaths were in the age groups:

- 35 to 44 years (46 deaths)

- 25 to 34 years (35 deaths)

- 45 to 54 years (34 deaths)

- 55 to 64 years (31 deaths)

** Challeges in Data Representation **

- The number of attendances related to suicide is under-represented as not all attempts, injuries, or deaths are attended by ambulances.

- Even when attended, there may be insufficient information to determine suicidal intent at the scene.

- Rates of death by suicide have not been calculated due to small numbers, which may affect the reliability of the estimates.

It is important to look beyond the data however and to recognise that these numbers below represent all those we have lost to suicide and their loved ones left behind. We also acknowledge there is so much we can learn from those who have survived a suicide attempt, those who have their own lived experience of suicidal distress or suicidal thoughts, and those who have cared for them.

We’re a registered Australian Charity with deductible gift recipient status. This means that donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Your donation can help MoWaNa Safe Space provide a secure and supportive environment for those in crisis. Together, we can make a difference and save lives.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Melani Kypri

Founder/President

MoWaNa Safe Space

24/7 Crisis Support

Lifeline 131114

Suicide Call Back Line 1300 659 467