Members of the Somerset community are invited to join Somerset Council’s Walk for a Life in Taunton as it returns for a 5th year on Saturday 5 September.
Organised by Somerset Council’s Public Health team in partnership with a range of statutory and voluntary sector organisations, the event is held to remember those who have lost their lives to suicide, raise awareness, and encourage open conversations about mental health and suicide prevention.
Starting at 10.30am from the Quaker Meeting House, Bath Place, participants will follow a gentle, accessible loop through Taunton, ending at Vivary Park at the “Afterlife” bench, where flowers will be laid to commemorate loved ones.
The bench, donated by Netflix to commemorate Ricky Gervais’ ‘After Life’ series, serves as a place for people to visit for quiet reflection and remembrance, and forms part of ongoing efforts to raise awareness, reduce stigma and encourage open conversations around mental health and suicide prevention.
The route is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Assistance dogs are welcome inside the venue.
1 person dies by suicide in England every 90 minutes, and statistics from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey show that 1 in 4 people will experience thoughts of suicide at some point in their lives, and one in 13 people will attempt to take their own lives.
The walk offers a space for reflection, remembrance and action: to empower individuals and communities across Somerset to talk openly about mental health, to reduce stigma, and to support people to access help before they reach crisis.
Councillor Evie Potts-Jones, Lead Member for SEND, Public Health and Equalities and Diversity, said:
Walk for a Life has become an important date in Somerset’s calendar, and I want to invite everyone to join us in Taunton on Saturday 5 September to be part of a united effort to raise awareness, support one another, and remind people that help is always available.
Whether you’re walking in memory of a loved one or to show your support for suicide prevention, your presence matters.
Post-walk refreshments and support will be available back at the Quaker Meeting House, where attendees can connect with a range of local support organisations offering information, advice and a listening ear.
Organisations attending include:
- Help for Heroes
- Mind in Somerset
- Open Mental Health
- Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP)
- Somerset Council
- Somerset NHS Talking Therapies
- Somerset Suicide Bereavement Support Service
- Taunton Samaritans
- Young Somerset
A second Walk for a Life event will take place in Shepton Mallet on Thursday 17 September, the first time the event has been held in the town.
For more information and support, visit: walkforalife.org.uk.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call Mindline, Somerset’s 24/7 mental health helpline on 01823 276 892.
