Swindon councillor hosts charity event to raise mental health awareness
Cllr Gattapur and his wife started their initiative during the pandemic
A Swindon councillor and his wife are hosting a charity event to raise money for the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM).
CALM is a suicide prevention charity that operates across England.
In 2023, the South West was in the top four of English regions with the highest number of suicides.
Cllr Suresh Gattapur said: “We know a few friends and family members who are going through this type of issue. We have seen some close friends who have lost a close one and it doesn’t only impact them but also their entire friend circle and family.
“So, we thought why not open the event for the whole community. Mental health isn’t limited to anyone”.
The event is taking place at the Punjabi Community Centre tonight.
It is open to families and people of all ages and includes live music from local artists in different languages as well as food and refreshments.
It is part of the Beyond Boundaries initiative which the couple started during the Covid pandemic.
“A lot of people couldn’t go out, so we organised online yoga sessions. So, now we thought we could use the same name of Beyond Boundaries again and support this charity”, explained Cllr Gattapur.
According to the Office for National Statistics, nine in 100,000 people in Swindon committed suicide between 2021 and 2023.
This means that, on average, more than one person died of suicide each month throughout those three years.
“There are so many time where we can’t talk to our close friends because we may think they’re judgemental. We need one person who doesn’t know about us and who is a good listener to help”, said Kavitha.
Cllr Gattapur added: “If we can save at least one life, it would mean a lot”.
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