One is too Many

One is too Many

A representative from the VPPP East of England region attended the recent ā€˜Our One Is Too Many: Suicide Preventionā€™ conference on 11 October 2023.

The conference brought together representatives from government, NHS, the charity sector and MOD to consider the positive influence of the One Is Too Many programme. Personal accounts were heard from Veterans who have struggled with mental health and updates on the excellent work taking place in support of suicide prevention were discussed.

One is too Many is a specialist programme funding projects that aim to reduce suicide risks within vulnerable veterans in a co-ordinated and targeted way. Part of the Veteranā€™s mental health and wellbeing fund portfolio of projects alongside the VPPP, collaborative working is a key element of this programme.

    The 5 UK wide partners of the programme and 4 projects working to support veterans in the devolved nations are:
  • The Forces Employment Charity ā€“ working in collaboration with the police force to reach out to veterans who come into contact with the Police.
  • SSAFA / Samaritans partnership ā€“ to establish a strategy to support those in the Armed Forces community experiencing suicidal ideation.
  • The Royal Marines Charity - embeds community-based support pathways, enhances professional skills and reduces stigma amongst the Corps family.
  • Adferiad Recovery - which will reduce and prevent suicide by vulnerable veterans through providing a bespoke peer mentoring service across Wales.
  • Inspire - combining prevention and intervention using a case-managed, stepped-care delivery model tailored to older Northern Ireland veterans.
  • Help for Heroes - change how support for veterans suffering mental health difficulties is accessed.
  • Help for Heroes / Zero Suicide Alliance awareness training.
  • The Baton ā€“ working in partnership with service families who have been bereaved by suicide.
  • Scottish Veterans wellbeing alliance

To read more about the conference, follow the link https://covenantfund.org.uk/2023/10/16/conversation-collaboration-and-inspiration-at-the-one-is-too-many-suicide-prevention-conference/

To read more about the findings and evaluation report from the project, follow the link: https://covenantfund.org.uk/2023/10/11/making-a-positive-difference-to-veterans-mental-health-and-wellbeing/