Caroline signs the "Tell Me" pledge.

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) and this year’s theme is “Stigma: a major barrier to suicide prevention”.

To mark the day, Brighton-based organisation Grassroots Suicide Prevention is hosting talks, performances, personal stories, and more at BHASVIC Sixth Form College this evening from 7 – 9pm (all welcome).

The organisation is working towards the status of a “Suicide Safer City” and, thanks to their excellent work, Brighton and Hove is well on track to be the first in Europe to achieve this.

This really matters, because it means that we can look out for one another, and help each other to avoid suicide.

It means we can also challenge the taboos around suicide, and say that is it OK to talk about it, and it is OK to ask for help.

That’s why I support Grassroots’ call for people to take the “Tell Me” pledge, to look out for one another, and to say “together, we can help people to avoid suicide”.

As well as the event tonight, World Suicide Prevention Day is being marked by a photography exhibition in Jubilee Library Square challenging the stigma of suicide – for more info see http://www.prevent-suicide.org.uk/index.html.