
Saving lives is a priority for Murwillumbah community
FOLLOWING the death of a 20-year-old man at Uki last month, members of the community have united to help prevent other lives from being lost.
Founder of suicide prevention and support group The HeavyHiterz Foundation Brent Simpson says enough is enough.
"We don't have any after care (in Murwillumbah), we don't have any support networks, we don't have anywhere to go,” Mr Simpson said.
"There's nowhere to go to reach out. You can go and present at the emergency department but they may not be able to facilitate
you and will send you to Tweed.
"But am I really going to want to get into the car and drive to Tweed if I've just found the strength to knock on the Murwillumbah hospital door?”
Mr Simpson said there was little support for the Murwillumbah nursing staff and doctors and it was impacting on people's ability to seek much-needed help.
"We've got nothing here to support any of the young people with programs, ongoing support, places
for activities or wellness where people can go to be social,” he said.
Mr Simpson said since January, seven people had taken their life in the Tweed community and it needed to stop.
"People need to realise that we have an issue here in this town, in this community and we all need to band together to make a difference because what doesn't affect us today could affect us tomorrow,” he said.
To combat the increasing numbers of suicide, the non-profit organisation is planning to establish a crisis house to provide extra care for the community.
"I want to see a place that is affordable to run, a secure environment where at any hour of the day you can go and knock on the door and speak with a professional clinician and a support network,” Mr Simpson said.
"We've lost too many lives. I have a duty of care, I need to act now.”