I’d like to welcome my constituent Claire Shortland’s setting up of a new self-harm self-help group to serve Ripley and the surrounding area.
The self-help group will run weekly on Thursdays between 6 PM and 8 PM, and is open to anybody over the age of eighteen. It is run on a drop-in basis, so there is no need to make an appointment.
I helped launch Claire’s ‘Different Minds, Same Hearts’ campaign last year, and the group has been set up as a part of Claire’s work on the campaign.
Self-harm is a complicated problem with many causes and isn’t simply a matter of attention-seeking behaviour. The response that people affected by self-harming behaviour can get from their friends, families and those from whom they seek medical assistance can make all the difference.
I recommend that anybody affected by self-harming behaviour and wants to get help to better cope with problems go along to the group.