{"id":423925,"date":"2025-09-14T14:51:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T14:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/423925\/"},"modified":"2025-09-14T14:51:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T14:51:10","slug":"old-friends-new-faces-and-a-dream-come-true-jaks-world-launches-salford-suicide-prevention-conference-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/423925\/","title":{"rendered":"Old friends, new faces and “a dream come true” – Jak’s World launches Salford Suicide Prevention Conference 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\"\" \t\t\t<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has been my dream, and today the dream is coming true,\u201d says Kasia Halani, Jak\u2019s World Suicide Prevention Charity co-founder and the mastermind behind Salford\u2019s inaugural suicide conference. <\/strong><\/p>\n

More than two years after her son Jakub Halani tragically passed away from suicide, she brought charities, councillors, old friends and new faces together under the Salford Lads Club roof to celebrate the progress Jak\u2019s World<\/a> has made, while fostering greater support and understanding around suicide prevention.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur charity was born from the pain of losing our son Jakub<\/a>, it was such a shock to everyone who knew him, school, family, friends and his loved ones. Young people started to come to me, sharing their struggles, and I knew something had to be done,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

\"\"Kasia Halani, Jak\u2019s World Co-founder.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we experience traumatic loss, such as suicide, it touches people, and everyone is shaken. But it brings everyone together, and when someone reaches out from our so-called family, we are immediately there for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to do all I can to prevent families from going through what we had to. We have got speakers in to share information because we have to come together. We need to support the NHS system, but we can\u2019t do it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim Burscough, a Jak\u2019s World volunteer, worked hard to make sure the event ran smoothly by directing people around the venue and fielding questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am just so happy with the turnout, especially on a working day when schools have returned,\u201d he said. \u201c60 people have registered, and quite a few local people have walked in as well.<\/p>\n

For Burscough, the strong turnout signified that the \u201ctaboo\u201d around suicide continues to be eroded by the work the charities in attendance carry out.<\/p>\n

Shining a light on how outdated approaches and perceptions surrounding suicide affected his mental health, and opening up on the sense of community and belonging Jak\u2019s World has given him, Burscough said:<\/p>\n

\u201cI think people are aware that it\u2019s a difficulty, especially for some men of my generation. I am in my 60s and we were expected to man up, be tough and deal with the things that came our way.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than 7,000 people took their own lives last year, and three-quarters of those were men. Suicide is the leading cause of death among men aged 35 to 49, and for men and women aged 20 to 34.<\/p>\n

\"\"Jakub Halani<\/p>\n

\u201cI found that when difficulties came into my life, I knew how I was meant to behave, but I wasn\u2019t really prepared for things going wrong and how to reach out to people,\u201d Burscough explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a neighbour of Kasia, so it has been easy for me to meet up. I have benefitted from the emotional support Jak\u2019s World provides and have been able to get involved and help other people, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The charity puts on a range of weekly sessions which give people a safe space to talk about their feelings while enjoying different activities. Chinese martial art, Tai Chi, is Burscough\u2019s favourite and is extremely popular, but art therapy, meditation and music are more familiar workshops that take place regularly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great feeling when you get involved with the sessions and can help people. It\u2019s a very positive thing and gives off all those happy hormones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Jane Wood, the host of \u2018Green Giraffes and Worms\u2019 on Salford City Radio, at the Suicide Prevention conference<\/p>\n

Jane Wood<\/a> could not help but smile because the room was full of her \u201cmost caring friends and neighbours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wood, who hosts a show on Salford City Radio<\/a> with her partner Mike, explained that the event has pulled old friends together, with many people who had long moved out of Ordsall returning to attend the Suicide Conference.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been doing things with Jak\u2019s World for a year now. Kasia is brilliant. I remember that she put on a women\u2019s group, and it was wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The room on the top floor of Salford Lads Club was decorated with art from the crafts sessions Jak\u2019s World organised. Wood is a regular attendee when the workshops run out of Ordsall Library.<\/p>\n

\u201cCrafting is a good chance to chat. It is a very therapeutic place to be, and people find it easy to talk about things on their mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoing things and food help to bring people together and talk,\u201d she says; the suicide prevention conference has plenty of both those things, with visitors diving into a big buffet spread midway through the day.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

There was no hesitation from Christiano Ferreria when asked what his favourite event as a Jak\u2019s World volunteer had been: \u201cParklife. That is the best event I\u2019ve done with the charity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ended up going to the festival for two days, and we gave out free hugs for mental health. It made me feel happy as so many people opened up to us \u2013 opening up to someone is the most important thing you can do (to help your mental health), he highlighted.<\/p>\n

Ferreria was a friend of Jakub and had been in the year below him at school. \u201cIt was heartbreaking news to hear he passed away from suicide,\u201d he reflected. \u201cSo, through that, we have done things in his name.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe charity was created shortly after he passed away to spread the message of suicide prevention. Then this year, me and three other guys ended up doing the Three Peaks Challenge in honour of the charity. We completed it in 23 hours, 40 minutes and 23 seconds, which is insane.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Christiano Ferreria, one of Jakub\u2019s friends, volunteers for Jak\u2019s World<\/p>\n

Ferreria, who hailed the event a resounding success, explained it had been a \u201ccollaborative effort, with a lot of suicide charities coming together, getting the word out and trying to help people feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the locals that made their way to the event without any previous affiliation to the charities in attendance was Gina Gina, who, despite apologising for being a second-language speaker, conveyed her enthusiasm for the Suicide Prevention Conference.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am really impressed with the event because I didn\u2019t know it would be so interesting. I know that there are a lot of people having suicidal thoughts, and I have too, so it\u2019s important to know that people care.<\/p>\n

\"\"Local musician Craig Winterburn delivered a gong therapy session at the Salford Suicide Prevention Conference 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way that the people here have presented the issue makes you feel that you can avoid it, you feel heard, and seen \u2013 it works like magic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will go online and have a look at each of the different groups in attendance today, I will make sure to talk to my children about them as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the groups that Gina had the chance to see was Reach Out; Start to End Suicide<\/a>. Dennis Baldwin, the charity\u2019s project manager, described how its work is multifaceted, with various initiatives aimed at \u201coffering community support and empowerment to start conversations around suicide.<\/p>\n

Baldwin, a smiley, enthusiastic character with a perceptible Aussie twang, is a multiple suicide attempt survivor. Through the charity, he runs a peer support group for fellow attempt survivors, which he says brings together a \u201cfantastic group, with a really dark sense of humour.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen someone can have a laugh and a joke about their illness, they\u2019re on their way to reclaiming it,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\"\"Dennis Baldwin<\/p>\n

Baldwin leads several suicide awareness campaigns through his charity, including the Every Day Mental Health Heroes scheme, which offers community support and an online training programme via the Shining Alliance on Suicide<\/a> website to help people start difficult conversations.<\/p>\n

Each World Suicide Prevention Day, he organises a remembrance procession and vigil<\/a> featuring 177 flags \u2013 one for every life lost to suicide in Salford over the past five years.<\/p>\n

When asked what he would like people to take away from the Suicide Prevention Conference, he said, \u201cIt\u2019s about the smallest things. Making sure you go home to your friends, family and loved ones and ask how they are feeling and then follow up and begin those important conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Salford Lads Club\u2019s Sinead Holmes (left) and Dawn Clements say the iconic institution is always there to help those in need. They were \u201cecstatic\u201d with the turnout.<\/p>\n

Jakub Halani was a renowned music producer whose talent earned him a global following and high-profile collaborations with major labels, including Sony and Universal.<\/p>\n

Sibusiso Tsambini\u2019s attendance at the Sucide Prevention Conference is a reminder of the positive impact Halani made. The 23-year-old, who performs under the stage name \u2018Kxng Drizz\u2019 explained that he \u201cdiscovered Jakub through his amazing beats, which never disappoint.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is amazing to see these people turn up here as well to remember their loved ones and it is beautiful that people can gather, share a moment together, and be supportive of each other,\u201d he said, ahead of his performance at the event.<\/p>\n

\"\"Sibusiso Tsambini \u2013 \u2018Kxng Drizz\u2019 \u2013 discovered Jakub Halani through his work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I get on stage, I make sure to tell the people sitting down to look at their neighbour and tell them they are loved, they matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a very important gathering suicide prevention is no joke, so that is why it is important to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the goals of Jak\u2019s World is to raise funds for a studio to honour the musical legacy of Jakub Halani.<\/p>\n

Kasia highlighted: \u201cWe don\u2019t have a base at the moment, and we would very much like to make our son\u2019s dream of owning his own private studio come true.<\/p>\n

Donations, which can be made through the Jak\u2019s World website<\/a>, are also used for creating \u201cboxes of hope for people who have lost someone due to suicide, or to support someone that is struggling.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very difficult when you are in that place to reach out, she says, we try to inspire people who are struggling to turn their life around.\u201d<\/p>\n

The itinerary from the Salford Suicide Conference, including the details of all the speakers and charities in attendance, can be viewed here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\nRelated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cThis has been my dream, and today the dream is coming true,\u201d says Kasia Halani, Jak\u2019s World Suicide…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":423926,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8813],"tags":[748,393,4884,144811,144812,2465,38824,1290,52403,144813,144814,30704,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-423925","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manchester","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-jaks-world","12":"tag-male-suicide","13":"tag-manchester","14":"tag-ordsall","15":"tag-salford","16":"tag-salford-lads-club","17":"tag-suicide-awareness","18":"tag-suicide-conference","19":"tag-suicide-prevention","20":"tag-uk","21":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115203217714857209","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=423925"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423925\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/423926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=423925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=423925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=423925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}