His ‘life was a blessing’

Brian Roberts was a postman at Wrexham Delivery Office, who sadly took his own life at the age of 50 earlier this year.

Wrexham delivery line manager, Kevin Pemberton, said: ‘Brian had more than 20 years’ service and was a much-loved member of the team. Brian’s life was a blessing and his memory a treasure. He will be sadly missed by many.

‘Brian was a very respected colleague and his sister Sandra would very much like us all to take a couple of minutes to read her and her family’s thoughts, words that she has bravely shared below.

‘Please consider if you would like to contribute to raising £1,000 for North East Wales MIND charity to support the wonderful work they do.’

Brian’s sister, Sandra, said: ‘I am fundraising for the North East Wales Mind charity, in memory of my brother. It's so tragic as Brian didn't think he was loved and felt so lonely, which regrettably we were unaware of as he always said he was ok with a smile. He also thought he was not good enough, which truly breaks my heart.

‘He leaves behind a distraught mum, a brother who doesn't understand why, and me. It's an unbearable situation we are left with. It's so difficult to cope with. We miss him so much!

‘I want to try to raise as much awareness over how important mental health is and the need to express and show your emotions. Please express how you feel to loved ones. I wouldn't wish this situation on anyone. It's devastating. Any funds I raise will go towards the charity to help anyone else who is in desperation.

‘I hope that any donations will help raise the profile of suicide. If this helps someone else, it will be worth it. Sadly, it is too late for us. I am lost without him. The fact that I am trying to fundraise is giving me a purpose after such a traumatic bereavement. I so want to make my brother proud. We loved him so much and we always will.

‘I would be so grateful for any donations that anyone could give please. Thank you so much for reading this and I hope we can help do something to help.’

If you would like to help Brian’s family fundraise for North East Wales Mind, please click here.

Help is at hand

One in five adults has considered taking their own life at some point. Every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and has long-lasting effects on the people left behind. It's the leading cause of death among young people aged 20-34 years in the UK and is the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds globally.

What statistics cannot reflect are the invisible impacts of suicide. People often refer to the ripple effect caused by suicides, where friends, families and communities are left struggling to understand and make sense of their loss. The impact of one person’s death spreads throughout the network of everyone they were connected to.

We can all make a difference to someone experiencing poor mental health by remembering the ACT acronym:

• Acknowledge - If you or someone close to you isn’t their ‘normal’ self.
• Communicate - If you’re not feeling okay, speak to someone about it. If you’re worried about someone, ask them if they are okay and encourage them to talk. Take the time to listen.
• Act - Find out what support is available and encourage others to do the same.

By implementing the ACT steps, you can play a key role in improving someone’s mental health, not just at work, but more widely. Remember, if you don’t feel your ‘usual’ self or you are suffering with mental ill-health of any sort, whether it has just started or has been an issue for some time – please make the difference for yourself and access support. The sooner you access support, the quicker you will start to feel better.

Further support

• The First Class Support helpline is completely confidential, independent and available 24/7. You can visit www.rmgfirstclasssupport.co.uk or call now on 0800 688 8777 if you would like to talk to somebody about living a healthier lifestyle or any other physical or mental health-related matter.
• Our in-house charity, the Rowland Hill Fund can be reached on 0345 600 4586 or www.rowlandhillfund.org. The Fund offers financial aid to colleagues, pensioners and their families in times of need.
• The Shout Mental Health Text Service is a free, nationwide, 24/7, text-based service. Text Shout to 85258 in the UK to text with a trained crisis volunteer.
• Finally, Stepchange offers expert, tailored advice and practical solutions to debt problems. Contact the UK's leading debt charity on 0800 138 1111 or visit www.stepchange.org.

For urgent support in a crisis: call the Samaritans on 116 123 (open 24/7) or in the case of a suicide or other emergency situation, ring 999, or 9999 from a Royal Mail landline.

If you’re worried that someone is at immediate risk of taking their own life, you should stay with that person and take one of the following steps:

• Encourage them to call the First Class Support helpline (open 24/7) or the Samaritans on 116 123 (open 24/7)
• Contact their GP for an emergency appointment or the out of hours support service
• Call their community mental health team (CMHT) if they have one.
• Ring 999 (9999 from a Royal Mail landline), NHS direct (111) or go to the nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department.