Welcome to ‘This Is The North’ Podcast, your source of transformative conversations. An intentional challenge to the systems holding back the North of England. Hosted by Alison Dunn, an award-winning charity chief executive and former solicitor. This podcast is supported by Society Matters and is dedicated to curating and sharing knowledge, powering the change we need from a more equal and inclusive society.

Today’s podcast is about disparities in opportunity and their outcomes between the North and the South. Currently, the Northeast continues to be the region with the highest rate of suicide in the UK. Whilst we'll be talking today around some of the broader policy and systemic issues related to suicide, it's vital to acknowledge that behind the alarming statistics lie real people. Each with a story, experiences, and challenges that led them to that desperate juncture.

In today's thought-provoking episode, Alison is joined by two remarkable guests:

• Paul Vittel's, the Chief Facilitator at the Zero Suicide Society Transformation Programme, situated within the Jordan Legacy Community Interest Company.
• Evelina Dzimanaviciute, a distinguished behavioural neuroscientist, organisational well-being consultant, and executive coach at Elite Mind.

During this insightful conversation, we cover a wide range of topics, including:

• The Priority Trap
• Suicide as a means, not a cause
• The story behind the Jordan Legacy
• The Learn Network
• Statistics & Stigma
• The Suicide Prevention Strategy
• A Zero Suicide Society
• Identity and Impact
• Mandatory counselling, training and more

Remember, to effectively address suicide prevention and offer real support to those in distress requires a holistic and empathic approach. This goes far beyond implementing policy changes or enhancing mental health services. It's about creating a societal culture deeply rooted in empathy and compassion. Suicide should not be viewed as an isolated concern, but as a crucial aspect of our collective well-being. We need to actively dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health. By building a society that provides compassionate support, preventative strategies and understanding, we do more than just reduce the incidence of suicide; we foster an environment whereby healing and wellness are integral to our societal values. It's important to recognise that suicide is a means of death, not a cause. Therefore, the path too meaningful change in suicide prevention is forged through holistic, empathetic, and inclusive preventions, whereby we acknowledge and address the underlying pain and trauma that often lead to such extreme distress.

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Alison Dunn

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisondunncag/

Paul Vittles

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulvittles/?originalSubdomain=uk

Evelina Dzimanaviciute

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelina-dee/

This podcast was produced by Moja.

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