19 February 2025
The sixth annual event for people who have lost someone to suicide in the Scottish Borders will take place on Saturday 8 March from 2 - 3pm at Haining House, Selkirk.
The event will provide a time for reflection for people bereaved or affected by suicide.
The event has been organised jointly by the local After a Suicide Working Group - who are a group of volunteers with lived experience of bereavement by suicide, NHS Borders and Scottish Borders Council. The event is being supported by the local Samaritans branch, Quarriers Resilience for Wellbeing and Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS). Volunteers from each group will be available during the event to provide support and will be on hand with resources and support information.
At 2pm we will leave from Haining House car park and will walk to the Clootie Tree. The event will be led by an interfaith minister and there will be time to reflect and tie a ribbon to the tree, as well as songs from the Health in Harmony Choir and the unveiling of the Clootie Tree poem which will be displayed near the Clootie tree. Afterwards, refreshments and support will be available at the Samaritans office in Selkirk.
Dr Sohail Bhatti, Director of Public Health at NHS Borders, said: “In a close-knit community like the Borders, there is often a far-reaching impact when someone dies by suicide. We hope that this event will give people who have lost a loved one to suicide an opportunity to come together and celebrate the lives of those they have lost and realise that they are not alone.”
If you are having negative thoughts, feeling low with no energy or thoughts of suicide, please talk to someone; speak to your GP, phone NHS24 Mental Health Hub on 111, Samaritans on 116 123 or Breathing Space 0800 838587. For more information on support available for people bereaved or affected by suicide, visit our Creating Hope website.
For further information or any queries about the Reflection Event please contact NHS Borders Public Health Team on 01835 825970 or email health.improvement@borders.scot.nhs.uk.