Blog. On World Mental Health Day - we need to talk about suicide.

World Mental Health Day is a global day of awareness and action taking place today. This year its specific focus is on suicide. Here at HA we are very much focused on the issue of suicide in our industry, because we experience it - and the shattering effects it has on whole communities - far too often.

The back story

Over the last year we have supported employers on a number of tragic cases involving suicide both of employees and also where guests have taken their own lives in hotel rooms and been discovered by team member, these cases and stories from elsewhere in the industry have galvanised us to take action. In the wake of a particularly sad case we put out a call to form a working party on the issue, which has informed our campaign.

Then, a few months ago, we held our first fundraiser in the East of England at Holkham Hall in Norfolk. There we met two amazing people, Mearl and Tracy Brown who had lost their son to suicide in 2018. The evening wasn’t just a fundraiser, it was a celebration of their son Nyall’s life. The entire room was stunned to silence not just once, when a moving film about Nyall was played, but a second time – when Nyall’s mum took to the stage and paid tribute to her son – and the team of volunteers who had honoured his memory on such a poignant night.

Mearl and Tracy gave us an amazing gift that night – Nyall’s story. They shared their experience because, while we couldn’t help Nyall, they want to reach out to any young hospitality worker dealing with dark thoughts and urge them to speak to a colleague, their boss or Hospitality Action before problems escalate towards self-harm or worse.

I'd also like to take a second to thank Charlie Hodson, the RNLI and DVPR for making the film happen.