Who We Are

Suicide Prevention Bristol was founded in August 2018 due to the sad loss of life of a mum and newborn baby in Bristol.

Charlotte Bevan and her four-day-old daughter, Zaani Tiana Bevan Malbrouck, had already reached the area where they sadly lost their lives 10 minutes before the hospital called the police.

Charlotte who had schizophrenia and depression, had stopped taking medication so that she could breastfeed her child.

Charlotte, 30, left from St Michael’s hospital in Bristol with her baby shortly before Christmas last year, and mother and child were subsequently found in the general area of the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
 
Our founder Michael Everett felt that there needed to be a way of supporting people that were going to locations in and around Bristol to end their life that felt they were unable to reach out for help. The best way that was found to help people that haven't reached out was to set up a team of people that patrol the areas where people take their life to support them and show the person that people do care and find alternative solutions to suicide. This was the start of Suicide Prevention Bristol.
 
Starting something that had rarely been done before was an incredibly difficult task. There was of course no manual to follow meaning that we had to create our own bespoke training along with the training from Mental Health England and local training providers EDP Training. In 2020 we were further assisted with our training by Avon Fire and Rescue for emergency water throw line training and then going on to completed our ASIST, TRiM and Jessops training.
 
September 2019 we were awarded the Gold Star Award for our volunteering activities in Bristol and we were picked as the hero of Bristol for volunteer of which were incredibly pleased that we have the recognition throughout Bristol of the work we are doing.

Our work in the community is informed by the national and local strategies, guidance and best practice which include the following documents: