Grassroots Suicide Prevention:

Breaking the Silence – Suicide Prevention Training for Young People

Summary

Overview of case study

Grassroots Suicide Prevention, funded by the David Riddell Memorial CIO, developed the UK’s first quality-assured suicide prevention training for young people aged 14 and above. Designed in line with the England Suicide Prevention Strategy, the programme aims to equip students with essential skills to recognise warning signs, respond appropriately, and seek adult help. Using dramatized storytelling, Breaking the Silence fosters peer support, encourages help-seeking behaviours, and ultimately aims to save lives.

Step 1

What was the objective?

Breaking the Silence was created to empower young people to support peers experiencing thoughts of suicide. The programme needed to provide engaging, relatable content that would spark meaningful discussions and equip students with practical skills. It was also designed to align with PSHE and OFSTED requirements, ensuring schools and colleges could integrate it effectively.

Step 2

What solution did we offer?

At the heart of the programme is a video drama developed using Nice Media’s Drama for Change methodology. Co-created with award-winning playwright Anita Sullivan, the video follows a young person facing the dilemma of breaking a friend’s trust to save a life. Flashbacks explore social media pressures, bullying, and LGBTQ+ themes. Two versions—one in school uniform and one in casual attire—ensure broad appeal. Interactive workshops complement the video, incorporating structured group discussions, anonymous digital contributions, and grounding exercises. The sessions create a safe learning environment, with signposting to support services. A suite of teaching resources helps educators facilitate discussions, with clear guidance on when to pause the video for reflection.

Step 3

What was the outcome?

Breaking the Silence has reached nearly 1,000 young people. Confidence measures taken before and after sessions via anonymous Mentimeter software show consistent improvement in recognising warning signs, responding appropriately, and seeking help. In every session, students have come forward to raise concerns about themselves or others. Many expressed a desire to become mental health ambassadors. The programme has already been embedded into at least one school’s PSHE curriculum, with plans for wider rollout. The workshops have been well received. Lucy Skillen, Mental Health and Wellbeing/Pastoral Lead at Holy Family Catholic High School, noted: “As a school, we were fortunate to participate in the MAPSS trial, which provided us with the valuable opportunity to have Grassroots Suicide Prevention deliver two, one-hour sessions to our students. The feedback from our students was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing a desire to support their peers.”

Testimonials

What our clients say

The structure of the sessions and the quality of the visual materials were both relatable and thought-provoking. I highly recommend other schools consider hosting these sessions—just one session can make a life-saving difference.

Lucy Skillen

Wellbeing/Pastoral Lead at Holy Family Catholic High School

Drama, Drama for Change