The West Bromwich-based charity, the Kaleidoscope Plus Group helps thousands of people across the UK each year and offers a range of services for people in need, struggling with their emotional health and wellbeing.

Kaleidoscope Plus Group has added to growing calls for the Government to embed age-appropriate suicide awareness into the school curriculum.

It follows the high-profile campaign by three suicide-bereaved fathers, better known as 3 Dads Walking, who have been taking part in a charity walk across the UK in a bid to change Government policy.

Dads Walking is a campaign group set up by fathers Tim, Andy, and Mike, who lost their daughters, Emily, Sophie, and Beth, to suicide. To highlight that suicide is the biggest killer of young people in the UK, they walked between the parliaments of the four nations.

Over 200 schoolchildren are lost to suicide every year in the UK.

On the recent parliamentary debate Monica Shafaq, CEO at the Kaleidoscope Plus Group said: “The stigma and misconceptions around suicide mean that it is often not part of our normal conversation with adults and even more so with children.

“We should be doing everything we can to have the conversation and help remove the stigma that surrounds it, as over 200 schoolchildren being lost to suicide is a shocking figure and emphasises why change needs to take place.

“That’s why we are calling on the government to embed age-appropriate suicide awareness and prevention in the school curriculum and to expand mental health first aid training for staff in educational settings and welcome that conversations are taking place in parliament.

“Research shows that, with appropriate early intervention and support, suicide can be prevented.

“Schoolchildren spend most of their time at school. Teachers and school staff have the opportunity to recognise the signs that a student might be at risk of suicide, and they are best placed to respond effectively, providing necessary support.

“We are calling for the government to make suicide prevention training a priority for all who work with children and young people.”

For more information about the charity and the support it offers visit www.kaleidoscopeplus.org.uk