Christmas is hard work at the best of times, but being part of this community only makes it harder. Yes, we get it and that’s why we’ve done something different with episode 8 – The Alternative Kings and Queens speech.

Because as Michael’s mantra says ‘you’re not alone’, and we’ve channelled that into this episode with voices speaking from our community, big and not so big, to support you all. As you’ll hear, the messages are filled with love, support, guidance and most of all, understanding.

Yes, Christmas will never be straightforward for us, because it’s difficult to be on the outside looking in, but we hope this episode will help you realise you’re part of a community full of friends, love and shared emotions. And believe us, there was plenty of that as we made this episode for you.

We hope you find it supportive and that Christmas is a time of peace and reflection for you.

Our thanks to: Jody Day, Lesley Pyne, Andy Harrod, Civilla Morgan, Rosalind Bubb, Anna Barratt, Stephanie Phillips, Brandi Higgins Lytle, Helen Segal, Kate Kauffman, Tanya Trusler, Tessa Broad, Yvonne John, Sophia Andeh and Jennifer Parrish. We also welcomed submissions from those who did not want to share their name at this time, thank you for taking part.

You can find lots of resources in our Toolkit here.

UK: Contact the Samaritans on freephone 116 123, they're open 24 hours and are there to listen and Mind.

USA: Suicide Prevention

Canada: Canada Crisis

Australia: Beyond Blue