Earlier this year, every Monday morning for eight weeks, a group of six teenage girls with a history of avoiding school came to a place in Bury called The Big Fandango, and learned how to sew.
They learned how to make a variety of items including an upcycled denim bag, an apron and pyjamas. And what’s more, they started going to school more – and engaging more when they were there.
Michelle Sampson, Director of Youth Services, said: “You really get to see the change in them, the move in their confidence and to see them blossom.
“You feel like you’re really giving them a skill to empower them.”
At the heart of The Big Fandango is an even bigger topic: suicide prevention. Their workshops and schemes are designed to help people foster the sense of community that people struggling with their mental health often lack.
And it’s an especially timely issue to be looking at. The North West had the highest suicide rate in England in 2023 and overall England and Wales recorded the highest suicide rate since 1999.
Office for National Statistics figures, released at the end of August this year, show there were 14.7 registered suicides per 100,000 people in the North West, and a total of 6,069 suicides registered in England and Wales in 2023.
This is an increase of 7.6% compared to 2022 when 5,642 suicides were recorded.
Rebecca Jackson, founder of The Big Fandango, was not surprised that suicide rates increased in the North West in 2023.
She said: "We’re in a time where we’ve got the cost-of-living crisis, we know that austerity is a huge driver and of course in the North West we have a lot of unemployment and a lot of families are struggling.”
Why are more men dying by suicide?
Overall the suicide rate for men was more than three times higher than the rate for women. For men 17.4 deaths per 100,000 were recorded and for women 5.7 deaths per 100,000 in England and Wales in 2023.
This was reflected in the North West, with the number of suicides increasing for both men and women.
Andy’s Man Club is a UK-wide suicide prevention charity for men and people who identify as male.
Chris Kelly, area lead for the Greater Manchester branch, said one issue the North West faces is inherited behaviours of staying quiet and being told to ‘man up’.
Kelly, who joined Andy’s Man Club after 30 years as a police officer, explained the hardest step can be starting a conversation on mental health - the groups help facilitate these conversations and save men’s lives.
He said: “The beauty of it is, I’m sat in a group where 12 or 15 men have just listened to what I’ve had to say with no pressure, no judgement and at the end of it no one told me what I had to do or what I should be thinking, they just nodded and said well done for getting that off your chest.”
The game-changer for Kelly was realising that there were other men going through situations after attending sessions and stressed that for men wanting to join they would not be on their own.
The goal for Andy’s Man Club is to have a club within 30 minutes of every town in the UK with local leaders who are aware of the area and knowledge of further mental health services in the region.
Young people and suicide prevention
The number of registered suicides of 10- to 14-year-olds also rose to 25, five times more than the number recorded a decade earlier.
Rebecca Jackson set up The Big Fandango following the death of her 16-year-old daughter to suicide.
With suicide prevention at its core the Bury-based sewing studio aims to engage with youth in the area getting them off their phones and learning new skills, like the sewing skills learnt by those on school avoidance scheme.
Michelle Sampson warned of the dangers of social media and how bullying occurs online meaning there can be no escape for some children. The Big Fandango gives them the chance to spend some time offline.
After the success of the scheme for school avoiders they're offering all schools in Bury the opportunity to get involved.
Sampson said: “Those girls come here for two hours and they don’t go on their phone - this is what is so fantastic about it.”
After the success of the pilot they are offering the opportunity to all schools in Bury alongside suicide prevention training for the teachers.
In addition to this the studio runs a variety of sewing classes for all ages and skill levels, and other funded projects in Greater Manchester.
Beyond the data
Although suicide rates have increased in 2023 they are still below the rates seen in the 1980s, when the rate was as high as 14.5 deaths per 100,000.
Numbers, though, can never truly tell the stories, as Ged Flynn, chief executive of young suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS, pointed out: “Suicide stats are always sobering. Whether rates are high or low, they represent loss, grief, pain, devastation, and much more.
“PAPYRUS is always keen to remember the people behind the numbers. The stories behind the data are what drive us every day, 24/7, to work on building a society which refuses to accept the inevitability of any suicide.
“Recent ONS data show that young people's suicide rates stubbornly are not moving in the right direction. Whenever the numbers are released, we redouble our efforts to act, to help to save young lives.”
What more can be done?
The Samaritans estimate up to 135 people, including family and communities, are impacted by just one suicide. They reported that the economic cost of one suicide in the UK is £1.46m.
Jackson said: “It costs £50,000 a year to run this space, so to create spaces like this is actually a win-win. They save lives.”
The Big Fandango carries out suicide prevention training for businesses in Bury - focusing on talking about suicide and spotting warning signs. They have so far delivered this training to over 600 people.
Jackson said: “I think it’s really important that there is more funding out there for small grassroots organisations. At grassroots level we understand our communities.”
She explained community sewing helps to combat loneliness and isolation, which are the biggest drivers of suicidal thoughts, as well as helping to deal with anxiety by giving the brain something else to focus on.
And the encouraging news is that something does seem to be working - in Bury at least.
The ONS data showed that, despite the increase nationally, in Bury and a few other Greater Manchester boroughs registered suicide numbers have decreased in recent years.
Jackson said: “I don’t think it’s any cause to be complacent because they are still people who have lost their lives and they’ll leave behind mums, dads, brothers, sisters and friends.
“The fact that the figures have gone down - I really do believe it’s in part that we do a lot of awareness raising in Bury.”
Whilst it’s not possible to attribute the decrease directly to The Big Fandango's work, it may suggest further research could be done on how community projects impact suicide rates at a regional level.
Jackson said “It’s a sign we are doing something right, not just us but all the brilliant mental health organisations like Creative Living, Rammy Men, Bury Involvement Group…
“It takes a village to raise a child as they say! Community is key.”
Further resources:
When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at [email protected], or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
Andy’s Man Club - Website
The Big Fandango - Website
PAPYRUS - Website
If you are feeling suicidal or are having thoughts of self harm call 999 or go to A&E immediately.
All images by Becky Yeomans
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