Knitted faces raising awareness and smiles

Monday 10 September 2018

Today is suicide awareness day and a number of knitted smiley faces have been seen out and about across Guernsey in public places, hosting poignant messages.

The brightly coloured woollen faces have been seen throughout the island along with messages for the finder telling them how important they are. Each also has contact numbers for helpful, listening organisations.

The faces are certainly raising awareness of the cause, but although there are a vast number and many people have seen them, it is not yet known who is behind the distribution.

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), on 10 September, is organised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). WHO has been co-sponsor of the day which aims to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented.

The local initiative has seen the coloured smiley faces placed in various positions throughout the island with reports of them at Candie Gardens, Ladies Bay, Beaucamp school, Delancey Park and Marks and Spencers.

Pictured: Knitted smiley faces at Candie Gardens.

The faces have two tags attached to them, one says to contact the Samaritans, or Mind, or their GP if they need to talk, and the other has a message for the reader. One found at Candie said, 'no one is you, and that is your power.'

There is speculation as to who may be behind the faces, however it was iterated to Express that this was not important and the fact that people were talking about the faces is itself a positive step towards raising awareness, but it was confirmed there were 500 around the island and they were all knitted specially for this cause.