A Cumbrian based suicide-prevention charity has offered training sessions to more than 5,000 people ­— and is looking to help even more.

Every Life Matters has made it its mission over the past couple of years to help those who are struggling with their mental health.

It says the training it offers plays a big role in suicide prevention and it is keen to spread the message.

Juliet Grey, training manager, said: "We offer a wide range of training across the county as we believe that training is a really important way of getting messages out there.

"We believe that everyone has a role to play in suicide prevention but it is often an area that people feel ill equipped in or that they feel they may say the wrong thing and make things worse.

"Offer a wide range of training from short awareness sessions to two-day training sessions on general mental health and wellbeing and suicide awareness through to more specific courses on safety planning."

In Cumbria, on average over one person dies by suicide each week. The charity says people must see suicide as a preventable death and look at what we can all do to help prevent it.

According to statistics one in 17 people each year will have thoughts of suicide but that doesn't mean acting on these thoughts is inevitable.

Every Life Matters wants to promote the support that is out there and and make people realise we can make life changing decisions.

The charity says that like general first-aid, training will give people the chance to learn 'life saving skills.'

Over the pandemic, training sessions went online but Every Life Matters is now seeing people face-to-face again.

The aim is to make people more comfortable talking about suicide and letting people know that they are not going to make things worse.

Lots of the trainees have said that they would recommend the sessions to other people.

One participant said: "In just an hour I’ve realised I can make a difference and feel more confident in having conversations I previously would have been too scared to have."

Another participant added: "A really useful session ­— delivered with such passion ­— helped me realise what a huge role we can play in keeping someone safe ­— thank you so much."