A BOLD new strategy aimed at reducing suicide rates and improving support for people who self-harm is being launched today by the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Sarah Murphy.

The Welsh Government’s 10-year Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Strategy focuses on creating a more compassionate approach to understanding and responding to suicide and self-harm. Drawing on the lived experiences of those affected, the strategy seeks to reduce stigma and foster an environment where people feel able to ask for help without fear or judgement.

To support this work, the Welsh Government is investing more than £2 million in the National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-harm at Swansea University, through Health and Care Research Wales. This marks a major step forward in deepening understanding of these complex issues.

The new strategy outlines six key priorities:

• Listening and learning – Building a robust evidence base by listening to those with lived experience.
• Preventing – Addressing the underlying risk factors that can lead to suicide and self-harm.
• Empowering – Tackling stigma and encouraging open conversations.
• Supporting – Improving services for those who self-harm or experience suicidal thoughts.
• Equipping – Ensuring services across Wales can identify and support those at risk.
• Responding – Providing timely, compassionate, person-centred help after suspected suicides.

The strategy acknowledges that suicide and self-harm can affect anyone, but certain age and gender groups are more vulnerable. Suicide is most prevalent among men aged 30 to 55, while self-harm is more common in young women aged 15 to 19. These insights inform the strategy’s tailored approach to support.

It also highlights the link between self-harm and suicide, underlining the need to treat all incidents of self-harm with seriousness, empathy, and care.

Minister Sarah Murphy said: “This ambitious strategy focuses on building understanding, prevention, and compassionate support for everyone affected by suicide and self-harm.

By working across government departments and with our partners, we’re tackling the root causes while ensuring immediate help is available to those who need it.

It’s through supporting and working with third sector organisations like the Samaritans that we will achieve the ambitions set out in our Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Strategy.”

Joshua, who received support from the Samaritans after experiencing suicidal thoughts, said: “I see a generational issue where older men don’t speak about their mental health because they grew up in a time when it wasn’t discussed.

Nowadays, people are more open about mental health, which is great. But there are still boys and men my age who feel it’s too wimpy or embarrassing to talk about it. Even though the conversation is improving, that stigma still exists.”

The strategy builds on recent progress made in Wales, including:

• The launch of a national advice service for those affected by suicide.
• New guidance for agencies supporting people bereaved by suicide.
• Improved access to mental health services through single points of contact for CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services).
• The national rollout of the 111 press 2 urgent mental health helpline.

Information from the Real-Time Suspected Suicide Surveillance (RTSSS) system – which collects data from police forces – will be used alongside a lived experience framework to guide future policies and services.

The National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-harm has been appointed as an advisory body to the Welsh Government, and a dedicated National Suicide and Self-harm team has been established within the NHS Executive to drive delivery of the strategy across Wales.

A CALL to approve a new campsite close to a Neolithic burial chamber for Pembrokeshire coastal path walkers, at which building works have started without permission, has been approved by county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Raffale Colella sought partly-retrospective permission for a proposed 12-pitch campsite at Tyr fy Nhad, New Hill, Goodwick.

The application was partly-retrospective as part of a concrete and timber facilities building for the site, near the chambered tomb of Garn Wen, a scheduled ancient monument on land owned by the applicant, has already been built.

A supporting statement through Johnston Planning Ltd said the applicant “seeks to establish a high-quality, all-season facility which will cater primarily for walkers on the Pembrokeshire coastal Path who currently lack any meaningful accommodation of this nature in the locality”.

It added: “The scheme proposes some 12 individual camping pitches set on a north-south axis on the site divided by an access track running the length of the facility with the proposed welfare building set midway along the eastern side of the site.

“In this instance the proposal relates to the establishment of new camp site on the periphery of a recognised settlement.”

It finished: “The provision of temporary visitor accommodation in this location will lead to increased spend in the settlement of Goodwick helping to underpin the service function of that town and having general indirect benefits in terms of social and economic sustainability.

“Ecologically the development proposes significant enhancement measures in terms of planting that will have clear positive impacts in terms of habitat creation and foraging habitat for a range of insect and animal species.”

The scheme was supported by Fishguard and Goodwick Town Council.

An officer report, recommending approval, said: “In regard to visual impact the site is elevated although due to the nature of the development being low level and in relation to landscape planting the development would have an acceptable visual impact on the immediate and wider area.

“In regard to impact on residential amenity, the site would be approximately 20 metres from the nearest dwelling.  The access track is some 15-20 metres from the dwellings to the east, therefore the development would not have a significant impact on the occupants of the dwellings to the south of the site.”

The application was conditionally approved.

A CALL for Pembrokeshire to make more land for allotments available for the public while also reviewing their pricing was made by the leader of the independent group.

At Pembrokeshire County Council’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting of March 27, Cllr Huw Murphy asked for greater allotment provision in the county.

Cllr Murphy said there were some 200 allotments in the county, with Pembrokeshire charging £32 per allotment against Ceredigion’s £60 and Birmingham’s £200.

“We should be promoting allotments and making more land available,” held told committee members, saying that, in his own area, Dinas has allotments, but the town of Newport did not.

He suggested a survey to find out the demand for allotments be held, citing the benefits to people’s wellbeing by working outdoors, with the facilities available at “a realistic pricing level”.

He was supported by Pembroke Dock councillor Tony Wilcox, who said the recent allocation of six allotments in his area “could’ve been got rid of five or six times over”.

In Pembroke, a recent application by the town council for 20 allotments was given the go-ahead by planners back in February using a disused play area.

It was agreed to place Cllr Murphy’s allotment call be placed on the committee’s Forward Work Programme, with further discussion and a review to follow.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Murphy said: “Increasing allotment numbers will play an important part in our food security, the traceability of our food, encouraging a healthy diet and improving residents’ wellbeing, hence why I have asked that allotments be given higher priority within Pembrokeshire.”