Leading Northern Ireland electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure company, Weev, has announced PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland as its official charity partner.
The charity works with individuals, families and organisations who have been affected by suicide or mental unwellness across the island of Ireland, making significant and invaluable strides towards improving and enriching the lives of the individuals it works with.
Welcoming the move, Weev’s Chief Commercial Officer Thomas O’Hagan said:
“Sadly, Northern Ireland has the highest rate of suicide of any region in the UK with many of us living and working here having felt the incredible pain of losing somebody close to us.
“So often, this can be the result of ill mental health borne out of a feeling of anxiety or stress.
“The truth is, any one of us can feel less than our full selves at any time, whether that’s a cause of personal or family situations or work pressures.”
According to the Workplace Health Report, produced by Champion Health, 76 per cent of employees across the UK have reported moderate-to-high or high levels of stress.
Meanwhile, a recent study by Mental Health Foundation and YouGov found that of those experiencing stress, 16 per cent had self-harmed and 32 per cent said they had experienced suicidal thoughts and feelings.
Thomas added:
“Through our partnership with PIPS Charity, we want to say that ‘it’s okay not to be okay’ and signpost that help is always there.
“As a company, we are committed to giving back to people around us and making our community a better place. Teaming up with PIPS Charity allows us to do just that.”
All public chargers across Weev’s growing network will be equipped with a QR code that connects users to the PIPS support website where they can find out more about improving mental wellbeing or they might support the charity with a donation.
PIPS Charity offers a range of life saving services that seek to deliver Suicide Prevention and Bereavement Support, including free, confidential counselling, crisis support, home visits and more.
Renee at PIPS Charity, said:
“We are very grateful to Weev for supporting PIPS Charity and its dedication to raising awareness around mental health and suicide prevention.
“The need for our services is still growing and as a non-government funded charity we rely heavily on the generosity of organisations such as Weev to allow PIPS Charity to continue supporting vulnerable individuals and their families.
“At PIPS Charity, we can guarantee that families who have lost loved ones and people in crisis will always be at the heart of our work and unlike other mental health charities we offer free, unlimited counselling sessions with our clients so supporting them with their mental health struggles is paramount in our service delivery.
“We cover the whole of the province with hubs in Belfast, Enniskillen and Derry/Londonderry.”