Remarkable young Harrogate woman to help offer 'beacon of hope' in mental health and suicide prevention in Yorkshire
Harrogate’s inspirational Miss Yorkshire has shown her commitment to use her own experience of mental health issues by training to be a ‘suicide preventer’.
Chloe McEwen, the reigning Miss Yorkshire, who narrowly missed out on Miss England glory earlier this year after coming an impressive fifth out of 40 contestants, is one of the latest people to become a Suicide Prevention First Aider.
The remarkable young Harrogate woman recently attended a suicide prevention training course run by new Community Interest Company, HelloHope, to undertake the training to understand what signs to look for and how to get someone who is struggling to a place of safety.
Chloe joined a small group of like-minded people interested in supporting those with thoughts of suicide after attending the launch event of HelloHope in May
“Completing HelloHope’s Suicide Prevention course has already helped me be more aware of how to spot the signs of suicidal thoughts as well as allowing me to feel more confident asking the question, whether someone is thinking about suicide, knowing this could potentially save a life.
“Our tutor, Ellie MacDonald, who is HelloHope’s founder and CEO, delivered the course so clearly and she made sure everyone understood all aspects of the course throughout which was really helpful.”
The cause is close to Chloe’s heart as she suffered a breakdown while still at school aged 16 and was sectioned in psychiatric hospitals.
Fitness and mindfulness including meditation and a healthy lifestyle helped her turn her life around.
Since then, she has embarked on a successful career as a Level 3 personal trainer, and worked as a volunteer for the charity Mind In Harrogate.
HelloHope’s Ellie MacDonald, said it had been an “honour” to work with Chloe.
“It’s an honour to have someone like Chloe with a prominent platform invested in supporting others with their mental health.
“With suicide being the biggest killer of anyone under 35, and men under 50 in the UK, I’m on a mission to bring this training to the masses so we can all help save lives.”
More information on mental health and suicide prevention at: https://hellohope.uk/