This Wednesday, September 10, is World Suicide Prevention Day.

Suicide is now the number one killer of men aged 21-60 in the North East.

To mark World Suicide Prevention Day, every year, North East-based charity If U Care Share holds its own Inside Out Day - encouraging people to wear their clothes ‘inside out’ and spark a conversation which could save lives.

This year Darlington Football Club has recognised this important campaign by welcoming the charity to this fixture and players and staff from the club will be wearing specially designed Inside Out t-shirts to support the cause.

If U Care Share are also hosting a stall in the ground to encourage supporters to get involved.

The If U Care Share 'Inside Out’ campaign encourages people to wear their clothes inside out for the day - a symbol to get their feelings out in the open and start conversations.

Suicide remains one of the biggest killers of young men across the UK, with six people aged between 21 and 60 dying by suicide every week in the North East alone.

And on average 135 people, including family, friends and work colleagues, are impacted when one person dies by suicide, according to figures from the World Health Organisation and the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP).

The IASP figures show that for each suicide, approximately those 135 people suffer intense grief or are otherwise affected, resulting in 108 million people annually across the globe, who are profoundly impacted by suicidal behaviours every year. 

If U Care Share was established in 2005 by the family of Daniel O’Hare from Lumley, near Chester-le-Street who took his own life unexpectedly at the age of 19 a year earlier. 

 Daniel had no previous history of mental health problems nor had he shown any outward signs of his intention. He was a normal young man, who was extremely popular and well known in his local community and had a large amount of friends and a family who loved him dearly. He enjoyed football, spending time with friends and socialising. 

 He also had a job managing a family online retail business and to this day his family remain devastated by their loss and are still no nearer to understanding Daniel’s choice.

His younger brothers Matthew and Ben, along with cousin Sarah (then aged 10, five and 12) set up the foundation because they wanted to do something positive and prevent another family suffering a similar experience, as well as creating a lasting memory to Daniel.

 The family started selling wristbands at football clubs featuring the message if u care share and raised over £50,000 for mental health charities.

In 2011, If U Care Share Foundation became a registered charity with three main aims: Prevention, intervention & support of those bereaved by suicide. 

 Since then the charity has provided support to those who have lost loved ones to suicide, as well as help and advice to those who are at risk of taking their own life.

 And their team of advisers have been delivering workshops on mental health education and suicide prevention in schools, Premier League, English Football League and Women’s Super League clubs and businesses and community organisations across the UK to promote positive mental health.

 The workshops are catered for young players from the age of six, up to the older youth teams and first team. The majority of Gareth Southgate’s and Sarina Wiegman's England squads have taken part in an If U Care Share session - and taken one of the famous bright green stress balls home too!

 Last year the charity’s founder Matthew Smith completed a month-long 400-plus mile run to every Premier League ground - starting at Bournemouth and finishing at Newcastle’s St James’ Park - to raise funds and awareness. 

His efforts brought in more than £30,000 to boost the charity’s services which include prevention, intervention training and support for families affected by suicide.