We are Hummingbird

Born out of the loss of a close friend to suicide, we needed to see what we could do to help others avoid such heartbreak and help remove the stigma around mental health and suicide.

We are you; you are us and together We are Hummingbird. We are Hummingbird is a community who talk, share and find support around mental health under the umbrella of music, we are united by a love of music and a commitment to look after each other.

You can connect with us on Instagram @wearehummingbird

How does your organisation contribute to preventing suicide and supporting those affected by it?

‘We are Hummingbird’ (WAHB) has been a website and community based service for 5 years, offering a simple community approach to positive mental health and suicide prevention through lived experiences, including hints and tips and positive music based support for all demographics. As the years have passed we have grown, along with our knowledge and the levels of support we can offer, either through campaigns we have run or simply being present at festivals or retreats to help educate the public on what exactly mental health is.
We receive regular feedback from members of the public stating how we have supported and helped them emotionally and practically in their mental health journey, either through the playlists we provide, the ground breaking raw interviews and Q&A’s we have with like minded individuals, or the fact we have support pages that can direct individuals to services they otherwise would not have found.
Whilst we offer no clinical services we are an introduction or stepping stone into primary care for many people who do not relate to the existing mental health charities. The main service we provide is a voice for a demographic of individuals who do not currently have one. In short we have found over the last 5 years that we appeal to the generation who otherwise feel they shouldn’t have or be talking about mental health or suicide issues. We must have as many different organisations and charitable inlets for people to be able to feel they can talk freely and openly. As a charity we can apply for funds which will allow us to grow.
Along side this we have a training arm of ‘We are Hummingbird’ – ‘We are Hummingbird Health Ltd’ which provide training of Suicide Prevention and Intervention at Level 4 City & Guilds accreditation. We deliver this training face to face and virtually in both the UK and abroad.

What are your current priorities?

Our priorities are to educate all on what is currently ‘the elephant in the room’, to help people understand suicide needs to be discussed and spoken about and to provide as many people as possible to have the confidence to ask if someone is thinking of ending their life.

We wish to broadcast on national TV and music festivals the importance of talking about suicide and not mistaking someone’s change in behaviour as being a sign they are fixed. This is ultimately the time when people must be on high alert.

What challenges are you currently facing?

We are struggling as most small non profits to get the funding we need to really push on further with our message and awareness campaigns. We have a strong following of supporters in the music world but as always we require funds to maximise our impact.