As originally published on www.portsmouth.co.uk
On Friday 22nd November, suicide prevention charity R;pple (ripplesuicideprevention.com) is set to hold an inspirational and fun-filled event in Portsmouth, where guests will commemorate and celebrate the reason behind the charity and the milestones achieved so far.
R:ipple founder Alice Hendy, from Stubbington, will welcome a series of speakers to the event, incuding BBC’s The Traitors’ star Fay Greaves.
Recent data released by the ONS* revealed that suicide rates in England and Wales are at their highest level since 1999, with research** showing 13% of UK employees experienced thoughts of self-harm or suicide. 1.2 million online searches linked to suicide occur each month, globally (Suicide Forum).
At the event, businesses will be invited to renew their focus on employee wellbeing and mental health, and individuals to show their support towards positive mental health.
R;pple - which provides a ground-breaking digital crisis intervention tool - was founded in 2021 by Alice Hendy MBE following the death of her brother Josh by suicide in November 2020. Josh had been researching over the internet techniques to take his own life.
Alice created R;pple in Josh’s memory - an innovative tool that provides intervention and support to people searching for harmful content online.
The R;pple tool has now been adopted by over 150 organisations worldwide who have seamlessly deployed R;pple as a browser extension or on their Wi-Fi network. R;pple now has almost 2 million weekly active users and has intervened in over 50,000 harmful online searches to date, continuously saving lives from suicide.
The R;pple Effect event in Portsmouth will mark the fourth anniversary of Josh’s death and aims to raise funds for R;pple’s vital mission and to encourage more organisations to take a proactive approach to mental health and suicide prevention.
It is held in partnership with alcohol-free events provider Claritee Group and will feature a number of speakers including Fay Greaves, star of the BBC’s The Traitors and R;pple Ambassador, R;pple founder and CEO Alice Hendy MBE, Ben Holmes, Founder of the Guiding Light Mental Health Charity, Steve Jones Deputy CEO of Steps Together and Alex Clapp, founder of Claritee Group.
Throughout the night, there will also be a three-course dinner served, as well as team building activities, carnival games, networking opportunities and music.
R;pple founder Alice Hendy MBE said: “It’s hard to believe it’s been almost four years since we lost Josh, but his legacy lives on through R;pple and I know he’d be very proud of the work we are doing to help others, in his name. This flagship event is a great chance to celebrate what we have achieved so far and to support businesses in prioritising the mental health of their employees.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Claritee Group on the event - we know that alcohol is a risk factor for suicide and suicide attempts, with 22% of global suicides attributed to its consumption***. This forms part of the next level of the R;pple tool which provides protection around high-risk areas such as alcohol misuse, gambling, domestic abuse and financial challenges, all which are linked to increased risk of suicide.”
Alex Clapp, Managing Director of Claritee Group, added: “I know from my own experience how it can feel to be at rock bottom and I am in awe of the work that Alice and R;pple are doing, and the way that they are helping people. This event will be a great celebration of that work and will also act as a great reminder of the fun and meaningful connections that an alcohol-free event can deliver. We look forward to welcoming everyone along on the night.”
To book tickets for the event on Friday 22nd November at The Marriott Hotel, Portsmouth, visit https://www.therippleeffectevent.co.uk/
