THE Mayor of Bury has promoted his chosen Mayoral Charity for World Suicide Prevention Day.

Cllr Tim Pickstone said that "we can all play a part in suicide prevention" as he promoted Bury Samaritans.

Every year on September 10, organisations and communities around the world come together to raise awareness of how people can create a world where fewer people die by suicide.

Cllr Pickstone said: "The Samaritans do a tremendous job in supporting people through very difficult times.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has added to the strain felt by many, whether they are worried about their job, finances, or simply not being able to reach out to friends. It is more important than ever to mark World Suicide Prevention Day and this course will help to give people a good understanding of suicide prevention and how they can support others

In support of World Suicide Prevention Day, Bury Council launched a free online Suicide Prevention Training course which was held today.

The course was initially delivered in a training room but, due to Covid-19, expert trainers from the Voluntary Community Sector have now developed an online version.

There were 12 suicides in Bury in 2019, and 20 in 2018.

Last year, Bury Samaritans took 12,017 calls, spent 2,569 hours on the phone and dealt with 10,094 emails.

If someone needs help Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year or by visiting samaritans.org.