Suicide is the number one cause of death for men under the age of 50 in the UK, and 17 people die by suicide in the UK every day. Employers often struggle to understand how they can support employees dealing with suicidal thoughts, so they do not take action until it is too late. R;pple Suicide Prevention Charity was founded by Alice Hendy following her brother’s suicide, and the charity has developed a tool that can intercept harmful internet searches about ways to end someone’s life.

R;pple decided there needed to be a new way into conversations about suicide, and came up with the life jacket – a physical thing that on first look does not say suicide prevention. Manufactured in a variety of colours, each jacket featured a 17-degree pattern in recognition of the 17 people who die by suicide every day. People are encouraged to add messages of hope and advice to the jackets, turning this difficult topic into a conversation starter. The jacket would also help employees learn about the signs of suicide and gain skills to help colleagues, and encourage organisations to adopt R;pples anti-suicide tool.

In 2023, 17 jackets were produced and were placed near a number of organisations of different sizes and industries. The jackets and stories started to be shared, amplified by a number of life jacket ambassadors who spread the word. Organisations could also make use of a free, open-source suicide prevention workshop that they could adapt for their own needs. In 2024, to mark World Suicide Day, the charity worked with people who have lived experience of suicide to write and produce a song. So far, The Life Jacket has been adopted by 63 organisations, with 37 jackets used by organisations and employees. And to date R;pple’s digital tool has intercepted more than 70,000 harmful searches and saved 31 lives.