It was a warm summer’s day in late 2024.
I was in my flat in Aldinga Beach, South Australia, and fancied a coffee. A coffee place not far away was on my mind, so I paid it a visit to grab a vanilla latte. I had just brought out a coaster which featured a suicide prevention signal that I had developed, to be a part of something I call The Whisperer Team. It’s an organisation that promotes life and prevents suicide – by organising things like pub parties while also ensuring there are people in the community who can support those emotionally, who may be alone and experiencing suicidal thoughts, and are reluctant to call a helpline. So, having just had the coasters created, and the fact that the coffee place sold drinks, I was confident, enthusiastic and a little too gung ho when I approached their team with the offer of the coasters to sell on my behalf and use at their venue. I don’t know what convinced me that stores and other organisations would offer the coasters, but I was a touch naive, now looking back on it, to think everyone was as passionate as me about preventing suicide. We had a difficult conversation and they declined my offer. I mean, I get it that everyone but those who follow through thinks suicide is a harmful choice, considering we’ve all been given the gift of life. And while life for most of us does get tough sometimes and suicide ought to be prevented wherever possible, my concept is not for everyone. I just didn’t realise that not everyone wanted to do something about it. Well, maybe they do, but just not my way. Did I stuff up with my approach? Sure, it was a mistake. Did I feel guilty, maybe for a few days. Did that error of judgment redirect me to a better way of approaching businesses and venues? Yes it did. And so here I am, with a local pub, brewery and café on board in our local Aldinga area, hoping I may find some people interested in seeing the vision of creating a Whisperer Team in the area. If you take a look at the logo of The Whisperer Team, it tells a story. In the middle you have the man with his arms folded, he’s The Pub Whisperer, looking back on the past and saying, “suicidal thoughts end here.” This was the original concept that emerged from me travelling Australia and creating the www.greataussiepubs.com.au website. To his right you have The Community Whisperer saying “yes, we can do this, onwards and upwards, lets prevent suicide in the community” and behind them both, looking to the future as well, is a woman, championing the idea that men (and women) are working together to help their brothers and sisters during tough times. So that’s exactly what I’m looking for in our community: men and women, who would like to assist in creating safe spaces within venues where there are drinks sold – pubs, clubs, café and breweries, to name a few – so people going through tough times can deploy The GLASS EMPTY Suicide Prevention Signal, and be assisted to safety, should they feel isolated, alone and suicidal in places where connection is encouraged. It’s a project destigmatising the idea that suicide ideation should be shameful when it is the only thought and emotion available, making compassion cool and creating connection in places where people may need to have a real conversation, rather than just on a phone line, if they have no one personally they can turn to for that assistance – to find hope again. I felt this approach was necessary given that "official" suicide rates in Australia rose from 8 to 9 a day during covid. That's 7 men and 2 women on average. On April 28 in the beer garden of the Aldinga Hotel I’ll be hosting an evening to find “Community Whisperers” who would like to assist their community with suicide interventions. Come find out more about how the organisation began, its vision for the future and how you can assist on a community level in reducing the rate of suicide in our region. This is ideal for people who have been there, with lived experience of mental health issues, and have come out the other side, and people who can empathise with those doing it tough. More at www.thewhisperer.team Just some more quick statistics on suicide: In Australia suicide is the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 44 and the second highest for the 45 to 65 age group. In 2020 to 2022 one in 6 people in Australia aged 16 to 85 experienced suicidal thoughts or behaviours in their life. An estimated 65,000 Australians make a suicide attempt every year. In 2022, the suicide rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was approximately twice that of non-indigenous Australians. On average 26.9% of suicides in the Australian population have alcohol in their system at the time of death. Around the world that figure can be up to 69%. In some Australian areas the figure can be between 60% and 100%. That’s what the research says, and meeting people where they are at, in pubs, clubs, cafes and breweries etc. is why The Whisperer Team can make a difference. According to trauma and addiction expert Gabor Mate: “when you look at the studies on what makes for effective therapy, it’s not the technique of the therapist, it’s not their formal or academic qualifications, it’s the quality of the relationship between the client and the therapist. “There was an interesting study that shows the heart emits electrical waves or radiation, as does the brain, and when the waves and radiation between the heart and the brain are in sync, there’s a state of calmness and presence. “The most effective moments of therapy were when the radiation of both the client and the therapist were in sync with one another. “This happened more often when the therapist was listening rather than when they were speaking. “So it wasn’t the great insights of the therapist that made the hugest difference, it was the capacity of the therapist to actually listen, and be present. “To really be present with the client.” Join Michelle Kemmler, from I Care Consulting in the City of Onkaparinga, (part of the Team so far). We hope to see you at The Aldinga Hotel beer garden at 7pm, Monday, April 28. For more information or to book your free seat visit here, email me at [email protected], message me here or call me on 0430 60 7827.
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 Suicide prevention training for pub, club and cafe staff, to support their patrons in times of mental health crisis, is now available for FREE. For any pub, club or cafe. Anywhere in the world.
Click here for access to the GLASS EMPTY Suicide Prevention Method. All pubs, clubs and cafes that put suicide prevention training in place for their staff, are welcome to provide their details to The Whisperer Team, by filling in the form here. Their details are then placed on The Whisperer Team map, so patrons can support them and their efforts in preventing suicide in the community. GLASS EMPTY Suicide Prevention Signal coasters can be purchased by contact The Whisperer Team HQ here. Patrons feeling vulnerable and needing a chat can also find you this way. These suicide prevention strategies promote life in our community! Get in touch and save lives.  The team at Cafe Crema is on The Whisperer Team - promoting life and addressing suicide ideation in our community.
Parked on their tables are The GLASS EMPTY Suicide Prevention Signal coasters and the, much more light-hearted, "I'm Single Signal" coasters. Drop by and say g'day to Paz and the team at the Aldinga Shopping Centre in South Australia, who are demonstrating by their actions that they truly care for their community.  The Australian Government this week rushed through legislation banning children 16 and under from using social media. The Whisperer Team founder, Jonathan Hart, suggests that many of Australia's young people will feel socially isolated as they are forced to disconnect from friends and online communities where they have formed friendships and experienced inclusion in the past. This may in turn have detrimental affects on their mental health. Jonathan believes this will place even greater pressure on our youth and suicide prevention services, which has seen a rise in calls, as Australia has experienced a rise in deaths to suicide, since 2020. That figure now 9 a day, on average. The Whisperer Team can lift this burden. Cafes, community centres, clubs, anywhere young people congregate, can assist young people who may be experiencing suicide ideation and are unfamiliar with how to navigate it. When posters, outlining the GLASS EMPTY suicide prevention signal for anyone experiencing suicide ideation to deploy and seek help, are on the walls of these spaces, they can be confident that using the signal will attract connection from someone with suicide prevention skills, who can then get them to safety. That assistance can be as simple as a 5 minute chat or connecting them with family, friends, loved ones, work colleagues who they trust and feel safe with, to express how they're feeling when they're going through tough times. This can in turn ease the burden on suicide prevention crisis helplines, that rely heavily on the support of volunteers. A free suicide prevention method for pub, bar, cafe and club staff is available at www.thewhispererteam.org In fact, it's available for anyone, anywhere. Young people may not know the words to say to express that they're dealing with suicide ideation. So introduce them to the GLASS EMPTY Suicide Prevention Signal so you can connect, show you're there to support them and get them the assistance they need during tough times. More on the Signal at www.glassempty.live Feel free to share the love and get this website to your local cafe, community centre, club, pub or anyone you feel may need this info, so they can be found on The Whisperer Team map and start saving lives. This video below, from online channel Cold Fusion, suggests there may be detrimental affects from the impact of the social media ban on the Australian population, which aren't generally recognised when taking the Government's new legislation at face value. Hope to see you there!   It's awesome when great people who make great pubs get recognised for their hard work, dedication and all round good nature.
People who care for their community! Now that's something worth celebrating! Jordie (pictured), mum Hayley and the team from the Royal Oak Hotel, Clarendon have taken out the inaugural 2024 City of Onkaparinga Great Aussie Pub Challenge. The pub, nestled in the picturesque Adelaide Hills township about 30 minutes drive south if the city, supports their community by providing great meals, friendly hospitality, a pool table, great conversation and of course a refreshing beverage or three. And it's poker machine free! Next time your in the area drop in and say hi to the small friendly team behind this family-owned pub. To cap it all off The Great Aussie Pub Network is organising a celebration at the pub on Sunday arvo, December 1, with live music and sausage sizzle, to mark the ocassion. A big thanks to all the participants from the 2023 Seaford Rotary Seaside Walk who made the Challenge possible, by raising funds when participating in the walk. This event takes place along the magnificent 5km stretch from Port Noarlunga to Moana reserve, with views of the rolling Fleurieu hills and coastline on the journey. It raises funds for important suicide prevention and mental health initiatives in the community. The grant of $1000 from the Rotary Club of Seaford (Club president Deb Pagsanjan pictured) was donated to The Pub Whisperer last year and helped make The Challenge happen, in order to equip pub staff in the region with life-saving suicide prevention training. The win for the pub means The Royal Oak will receive a minimum 12-month subscription and listing on the Great Aussie Pubs website as well as suicide prevention training for all of their staff. A big thank you to all the participating pubs and publicans who got involved and encouraged their patrons to vote in The Challenge. They include: The Aussie Inn (Hackham) The Aldinga Hotel McLaren Vale Hotel Old Noarlunga Hotel Old Bush Inn (Willunga) The Alma (Willunga) Mick O'Shea's (Hackham)  On World Suicide Prevention Day 2024 it's a great reminder that when suicide is no longer considered as an option by someone doing it tough, healing work is.
When we've surpassed the threat of immediate death at our own hands, there is a door way to another world that is being shown to us. Once upon a time those triggers that brought us to suicide ideation were called anger, rage, regret, resentment, hurt, loss, abandonment, loneliness, guilt and shame. At it's very core, they are either misery or overwhelm. Or both. Chances were that we could not even name them at the time. Sometimes we were so neck deep in misery that finding the words to name our feelings were virtually impossible. Talking about those feelings, with loved ones, someone we can trust or in places that we feel safe, helps us to name them. And by naming them we can gain clarity on what we can do to feel better. This process is commonly called "healing trauma". It's the new buzz word in the world of mental health and it shows us how far we have come with our awareness of the issues that affect our mental well being. Here's the process of how to successfully deal with suicide ideation, in order to heal our feelings of sadness or overwhelm: First we should not shame it. Instead we must name it. The feeling, that is. The negative feeling that sits within our bodies, causing us grief and suffering. So much so, that we do not want to continue on with this life. Because we have hit our limit of suffering. We name it, so that we can bring clarity to why we feel suicidal. So that we can make the necessary changes in our life to heal from that experience or trauma causing it. This is done by sharing it and having our words witnessed, whether it's with a suicide prevention helpline or a friend or simply someone we trust and feel comfortable with. Then making just one small regular step to repair it. The experience of suicide ideation ultimately shows us what we no longer need in our life. What is causing us extreme discomfort. If we can't feel it, name it, accept it, abandon, work through it or move on from it, then we cannot repair or heal it. Our bodies are a temple and they store within it these unresolved traumas. As long as our bodies are caught in the feeling of grief, and we are not bringing the reason for the trauma and suffering to light, speaking it, having it witnessed and then making one small step to repair it - then we are not able to change these suicidal thoughts. Knowledge is power. Suicidal thoughts are leading us on a journey. So that we can choose differently.  When it comes to dealing with the issues of marketing suicide prevention ... "Make Compassion Cool™" is a far better slogan than "end the stigma".
It focuses on the positive and what is needed from us to reach out to someone when they are doing it tough and perhaps dealing with suicide ideation. Making compassion cool is the next step we as a society need to embrace if we are to save lives. And maybe the world will become a much brighter place in the process? When compassion is in place, the stigma on suicide is over. #supportoversuicide #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #thewhispererteam #thepubwhisperer #makecompassioncool It was an absolute honour and a privilege to be asked to speak at and receive a big $1000 cheque at last month's Rotary Club of Seaford meeting.
The biggest of thank you's to the club's members for choosing The Whisperer Team to donate the funds to, and everyone who registered and walked the Seaford Rotary Seaside Walk last November. The $1000 raised will go to train 40 Whisperers in the local community when the program is launched. Biggest of thanks to President Denise, District Governor Craig, Mark, Deb and the rest of the crew, including Blaze, who made the night so very memorable. Don't forget the next Suicide Walk will be held on October 13 again raising funds for suicide prevention and mental health. #suicideprevention #thewhispererteam #thepubwhisperer #mentalhealthawareness  It's important to know why it's important to become a Whisperer.
As far as purpose goes, can there be anything more rewarding than knowing you've saved or know how to save a life? Someone experiencing financial stress suffering due to confusion around what direction to take their life. Someone experiencing shame or a lack of self worth, may be unable to see hope for their future. By leaning in, having a human conversation, and showing compassion to them, you are bridging the gap, helping them find hope. And with that compassion you are giving them new ways to find a reason to live. The reason for that new found hope is your compassion and connection. A lack of connection, which we all need, is one of the many reasons that can lead to suicide ideation. Around the world we've never been better connected via social media and mobile phones, and yet Australia is experiencing a loneliness epidemic. Online connection will never replace human connection - and that is what The Whisperer Team is addressing through it's community-driven suicide prevention approach. Hence our motto: Promoting Life in our Community. By knowing our true purpose is performing with heart-centred actions, rather than simply meeting deadlines and achievements, don't you think being a Whisperer would make you feel purposeful? Our goal is to help change the Aussie vernacular, from saying "she'll be right, mate" to asking "are ya alright, mate?" With an aim to pave a new way for Aussie culture. |
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