PAPYRUS is the national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide.

PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide is the UK charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people.

Suicide is the biggest killer of people aged 35 and under in the UK. We believe that many suicides are preventable.

PAPYRUS was founded in 1997 by a group of bereaved parents, who had each lost children to suicide. Our founding parents shared core beliefs that suicide is preventable, and that those of us with lived experience of suicide have a valuable and unique contribution to make to the wider conversation around suicide.

Since then, PAPYRUS has grown into a UK-wide charity with offices in North West England, South West England, West Midlands, London, Northern Ireland, North Wales, South Wales, and Scotland.

Today, we are a leading youth suicide prevention charity in the UK. Our suicide prevention helpline, HOPELINE247, is staffed by trained suicide prevention advisers, who work with young people – and anybody concerned for a young person – to help keep them safe from suicide. HOPELINE247 is a free and confidential call, text and email service, which is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year (weekends and bank holidays included),

We work with communities across the UK, engaging them in our mission to prevent suicide in children and young people. We engage them through our resources and training, learning with them and galvanising them to help save young lives.

We also press for change to current legislation around suicide prevention on a regional and national level.

The work we do centres around five key pillars; Support, Equip, Influence, Sustain and Enable.

SUPPORT:

We offer professional advice and information to young people and those who are worried about them when suicide becomes part of their lived experience. We intervene to protect life where this is endangered. We do this every day of the year.

EQUIP:

Our people reach and engage with communities across the UK. We have strengthened our volunteering offer. Staff and volunteers reflect the diverse communities they engage with. They are geographically dispersed across the UK. They work with partners and local suicide prevention planning groups to aid joined-up thinking and action.

INFLUENCE:

We work with partners to shape and deliver effective suicide intervention initiatives in communities to meet the needs of young people who experience suicidal thoughts or behaviours, and those who are concerned about them. We lobby for policy change where these needs are not being met.

SUSTAIN:

We work hard to ensure we have a diverse income portfolio and have robust risk management and financial plans in place to ensure continuity and future growth within the charity.

ENABLE:

Our management structure enables good and timely decision-making and promotes subsidiarity. We invest in staff and volunteers so that they can be effective and productive. They are properly supported in delivering our mission to enable life for young people.