A Cumbrian charity is hoping to give young people hope by working with schools to educate staff and students on suicide prevention. 

Suicide prevention and bereavement support charity Every Life Matters has been working with schools across the county to teach people how to spot the signs of somebody struggling as well as how to manage suicide risk.  

Training sessions include suicide prevention and mental health skills, coping mechanisms, and how to access support services. 

The programme, Suicide Safer Schools, has already trained more than 3,000 year 10 and 12 students and 850 staff members.

READ MORE: Every Life Matters introduces programme to makes schools safer

Chris Wood, manager of the charity, said: "We saw working with schools as a really good way of getting contact with and educating a very large amount of people in Cumbria and really trying to get a generational shift in attitudes towards suicide.

"The schools have been quite brave to let us in and to give such dedicated amount of time to suicide prevention.

"But then when we speak to schools, we understand the reason for that because schools are a frontline mental health service now, and they're supporting a lot of vulnerable young people who are struggling with their mental health and many of them are struggling with thoughts of suicide."

As well as educating people within the school system on suicide prevention, Every Life Matters is running whole year group suicidality screening as part of a national research project with Liverpool John Moore University.

It's a psychological questionnaire that flags pupils who are having more intense and regular thoughts of suicide - these students are then offered cognitive behavioural therapy. 

One in five people will have thoughts of suicide within their lifetime, according to mental health charity Mind.

Mr Wood said: "It's something that impacts so many people.

"It's a common response to challenging lives, circumstances, it's more common than we think.

"But, because of the stigma around it, people are often scared about reaching out for help, and they find those thoughts quite overwhelming and quite scary."

READ MORE: Every Life Matters offers training in suicide prevention

Every Life Matters is looking for young people between the ages of 18 and 26 who have lives with thoughts of suicide to offer hope to other young people by sharing their experience on film. 

To find out more, visit the Every Life Matters website.

If you're struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can call the Samaritans for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.