Talk about suicide 'before it's too late' says dad

The father of a young man who took his own life has urged parents to learn about suicide "before it's too late".

John McGhee, whose son Max took his own life in 2017 aged 23, supports the Bristol-based charity Hope Against Suicide (HAS), which has opened a pop up in the Cabot Circus shopping centre.

Rates of suicide across England vary annually, with just over 5,700 deaths recorded in 2024, but rates in Bristol are about 3% higher than the national average.

"I'm just a dad who learned too late those skills but I want other mums and dads to learn before it's too late," he said.

"Instead of asking 'how are you', if you are able to ask them 'how are you feeling' then that one additional word can often create a more thoughtful and therefore honest response," McGee added.

Rin Hamburgh lost her father to suicide when she was eight years old and is now a trustee of the charity.

"Suicide is the last step in a really long journey. People don't tend to just wake up being suicidal, it starts weeks, months, even years before," she said.

"Things kind of breed in the dark, but if you can switch the light on, if you can bring it out and talk about it, it just makes it a lot less scary.

"Even if you don't have any hope for yourself, by talking to somebody you can borrow their hope and that can just keep you going just for a little while."

The hub in central Bristol is open to everybody, regardless of the state of their mental health.

Attendees are offered a "warm welcome", a drink and the chance to discuss their feelings with a specialist trained volunteer who could signpost helpful organisations if needed.

Clare Kemp, who founded HAS after she lost a friend to suicide, said: "Suicide is the only preventable death... yet every two hours in the UK somebody dies by suicide and many, many other people are attempting to end their life by suicide.

"When somebody dies by suicide, it's kind of a grief that you can't even explain because it is a preventable death. The shock still remains with me now, many, many years on."

With the launch of the hub, she hopes to "get the community talking" in a bid to prevent suicide.

"If we can link all the organisations and people together… between all of us together, we can help save lives," she said.

If you have been affected by the topic discussed in this article, support is available via the BBC Action Line.

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