Suicide Prevention Day to be marked at Saturday's Fixture

Port Vale Football Club will come together with supporters this Saturday to mark World Suicide Prevention Day, highlighting the importance and power of speaking to each other.

For 90 seconds, our usual pre-match and announcements inside Vale Park will stop to give supporters the opportunity to turn to the person next to them and simply talk.

Whether it is a conversation with a friend, a family member, a fellow supporter or someone you have never spoken to before, the message is simple, start the conversation.

The initiative is inspired by the World Suicide Prevention Day theme, ‘Changing the Narrative on Suicide’.

The campaign encourages people to move away from a culture of silence and misunderstanding and towards one of openness, empathy and support, recognising that every conversation can contribute to a more supportive community.

Which is why on Saturday, we are asking supporters to put the phones away, turn to someone around them and have a conversation.

It doesn't need to be a serious conversation. It could be as simple as asking someone how their week has been or checking in with someone you haven't spoken to for a while, because communication matters.

IASP's World Suicide Prevention Day campaign encourages open and honest conversations, with the aim of breaking down barriers, reducing stigma and creating cultures of understanding and support.

Thousands of you will come together on Saturday, for 90 seconds, we want to use that togetherness to demonstrate the power of simply talking to one another.

So, when the music stops, start a conversation. Turn to someone. Ask how they are. Listen. Talk. You never know how much that conversation might mean. 

Let's change the narrative. Together.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please seek support from a trusted person or an appropriate mental health or crisis service. You don't have to face things alone.