Cumbria United Against Suicide is a free county-wide project uniting sports clubs, coaches, and athletes from all sports to take a stand against suicide. The campaign uses the power of sport — teamwork, community, and solidarity — to reduce the stigma around suicide and open up life-saving conversations. Developed by Cumbrian suicide prevention and suicide bereavement charity Every Life Matters, in partnership with Cumberland Council, Active Cumbria, and TDA (The Decommissioning Alliance), the project brings together organisations and communities with a shared commitment to saving lives.
The initiative has already gained significant recognition, having been shortlisted at this year’s Cumbria Sports Awards in the Community Sports Project Award category, and selected as a finalist at the Pride of Cumbria Awards.
More than 30 sports clubs, coaches and athletes from across the county have already signed up to join the movement and share the belief that suicide prevention starts within communities.
Cumbria is one of the areas with the highest suicide rates in England. There were 66 deaths by suicide registered in 2024 — the equivalent of six full football teams. But suicide is preventable, and sports clubs are uniquely placed as strong, supportive communities that can play a vital role in saving lives.
The project began when Emma Thompson, Senior Manager Community Safety and Resilience at Cumberland Council, approached Every Life Matters to collaborate on a sport-based initiative. Reflecting on this, Emma said:
"Every death to suicide in Cumbria rocks me to my core and I just couldn’t sit back and wait for it to get better, I had to try. I see so much beauty and human power in the partnerships I am part of… I believe this power alongside activity and sport as a shared interest really is the recipe for something magical."
From there, work began to build a movement designed to last. A movement that is rooted in the strong sense of connection that exists within sporting communities. This connection is built on shared experience, safety, activity, enjoyment, and care. Cumbria United teammates are individuals prepared to stand up and take ownership of the challenge of reducing deaths by suicide across the county.
The initiative invites every sports club and sportsperson in Cumbria to be part of the solution. It is built on a simple belief: this is our issue, and together, through compassion, community, and humanity, we can make a difference. Once clubs have signed up, Every Life Matters will provide resources and opportunities for free in‑house and online training to raise awareness, build confidence in having conversations about suicide and take actions to prevent suicide. They also offer suicide bereavement support to clubs in the tragic event of a loss, ensuring they are not left to navigate the impact alone.
Liz Wright, Sports Welfare Officer at Active Cumbria, highlighted the significance of partnership working in tackling the issue:
“Active Cumbria are very proud to be able to support the Cumbria United Project. As a team, we are very aware of the wonderful positive power of sport and physical activity, so to be able to use this on a project about suicide prevention is very special. The rates of suicide in Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness are far too high, so it is our privilege to be able to work as partners on this project. The more we can highlight to our community that it is ok to talk to people about how you are feeling and seek support, the better. We simply cannot wait to see the impact that this work is going to have.”
This partnership approach is echoed by The Decommissioning Alliance, who are supporting the project as both a funder and active partner. Alison Young, Social Impact Manager for TDA, said:
"We are proud to be both a funding partner and active supporter of Cumbria United. Suicide awareness is everyone’s responsibility — and too many lives are lost in our communities, often in silence. By investing in Cumbria United, we are backing vital work that opens up honest conversations, challenges stigma and strengthens the support networks people rely on at their most vulnerable moments. This kind of partnership saves lives, and that is why it matters so deeply to us."
A major milestone for the campaign is the release of a suicide prevention video featuring real Cumbrian coaches and athletes from a range of sports clubs, all sharing one powerful message. Filmed by Plain Creative at locations including Empire Gym, Workington Cricket Club, The Fibrus Community Stadium and Brunton Park, the video reflects the strength and unity of the county’s sporting community. It will be shown publicly for the first time at the Cumbria Sports Awards on April 16th before launching across social media on the 17th.
The campaign video will be shown on the big screen in the Fan Zone at Carlisle United’s last home game on Saturday, 25th April. The match also marks Mental Health Awareness Day at CUFC, with local mental health charities in attendance and a special acknowledgement of the Baton of Hope Bearers and their upcoming journey. It’s a powerful opportunity to share the message of Cumbria United on a day dedicated to supporting mental health and celebrating those driving change across the county.
Nina Porter from Every Life Matters explained the importance of this video, saying:
“Sport has an incredible ability to bring people together and share vital messages. The video highlights the importance of asking someone directly about thoughts of suicide, and having that delivered by real Cumbrian coaches and athletes, who are role models in their communities, makes it an especially powerful and authentic way to reach people. Sport has always been about more than winning. It’s about connection, belonging, and having each other’s backs — on and off the pitch. And at the heart of that is a simple truth: suicide prevention is everyone’s responsibility. Through Cumbria United, we’re giving clubs the tools and confidence to have conversations that could save lives.”
Clubs involved in the project are already seeing its impact. Representatives from Workington Town RLFC said: "We are and will forever be a part of this incredible initiative. Workington Town RLFC and Workington Town Community Trust firmly believe that our platform both digitally and locally, should help our community. Its impact on our players and our people has been incredible. Our people have found themselves, understand themselves more, and have evolved because of this project."
Interested sports clubs, coaches and athletes can join the Cumbria United team by signing up on the Every Life Matters website: www.every-life-matters.org.uk/cumbria-united
Or they can attend the first local club sign‑up event, which will take place at The Fibrus Community Stadium in Workington on Friday 15th May, 6.30–8.30pm. The evening will include a 1-hour Bitesize suicide prevention training session delivered by Every Life Matters, the screening of the campaign video, Q&A‑style presentations from members of the film cast and the opportunity to sign up. Free tickets are available on Eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cumbria-united-sign-up-event
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