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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-11-17 Daily Xml
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Living Beyond Suicide

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (15:40): On Saturday just past, at 5 o'clock in the morning, I along with about 30 other people gathered at Oarsmen Reserve at Tennyson. Simultaneously, there was a same sized group down at the West Beach boat ramp facility, and what we were participating in was the annual AnglicareSA Living Beyond Suicide Walk Through the Darkness. It was a pretty good event, very sombre and moving. I did not know too much about Living Beyond Suicide up until that day and committing to go to that walk. By way of information, I also walked with the Hon. John Dawkins from the other place, who has been doing it for a long time and is a very strong and great advocate for suicide prevention and support.

Living Beyond Suicide is a free program providing practical and sensitive support to families and individuals bereaved through suicide. The staff, a few of whom I met, and also the very strong volunteers, specially trained volunteers, offer home visits and telephone support. Anyone in the community can contact Living Beyond Suicide directly to access this support.

As I mentioned, Living Beyond Suicide hosts an annual walk of remembrance—Walk Through the Darkness—held every November. If there was one thing I was not too happy about it was walking along the beach at a really high tide. It was almost six kilometres in soft sand, and for an old fella like me it was very difficult. It allows families, friends and others to walk in remembrance of loved ones who have taken their own lives, but the walk also serves to provide and offer community education, and that was part of the process that I undertook on Saturday morning.

The two walking groups reached their destination at the Henley Surf Life Saving Club at just after sunrise. The service of remembrance is normally held in Henley Square but, because of the construction that is going on there and the redevelopment, of course, it was held in the Henley Surf Life Saving Club, as the chosen venue for the ceremony of remembrance. What a wonderful venue it was to conduct what was a very moving and poignant ceremony.

The aim of AnglicareSA Living Beyond Suicide program is to provide that centralised location where anyone in South Australia who is bereaved through suicide can find support and help. It was a terrific program opened by Karl Telfer giving a welcome to country. There was also a series of singers who sang some beautiful songs, particularly Joseph Braithwaite and Grace Bawden, whose mother, I understand, used to work here some time ago. She has a beautiful voice. Peter Sandeman, the CEO of AnglicareSA, welcomed everyone there.

What really struck me were the two survivor reflections that were provided by two of the young women there; it was very moving. But what also struck me was the support that they had received throughout this entire period. The second survivor reflection, for example, was given by someone who only seven months ago lost her partner, and it was very difficult for her to speak. She was very brave and spoke extremely well, but she highlighted the support she had got not just simply from Living Beyond Suicide but from the Living Beyond Suicide group of volunteers preparing her worksite for her return back to work by talking to her work colleagues so they understood what had occurred but also what support they could provide her.

I am not sure if many people in this chamber are aware of this organisation under the auspices of AnglicareSA, but I would encourage everyone next year to consider coming on this walk and for us as members of parliament to actually look at what support we can give through educational processes to our community to make sure that people are aware of this outstanding service.

I think every one of us has been touched by suicide in some way—some more directly than others. We know it is a traumatic time for those who are left behind, probably for the rest of their lives, but they can get through it providing support is given to them from the whole of the community, their friends and families.

I want to congratulate Peter Sandeman and Anglicare, their dedicated workers and their volunteers who provide much support for people who have lost their loved ones. I congratulate and thank them for the work they are doing. As parliamentarians, if we can provide any support at all to them, I certainly urge us to do so as individuals and as a collective.

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