The suicide awareness group was established after a meeting in the spectrum centre inverness in may 2004 after several people had lost a loved one to suicide.
My name is joyce Plent and along with Shona Ralston, Maureen & Sam Leitch, George Campbell and Patricia Lancaster we decided to start a small help group. By the time September 2004 arrived there was 44 recorded suicides in the highland region.

• I am Joyce Plent and we lost our lovely husband and father Steve aged 57. We had no idea there was anything wrong: He was still the happy person he always was and had kissed me goodbye in the morning saying that he would see me later. That was the last time we saw of him alive. He was found hanging in his works van near Kyle of Lochalsh.
  My family of twins aged 23 (at the time) and 34 and 38 years old were absolutely devastated as steve had given us no idea that perhaps he was suffering one way or the another. I asked myself "why ?..." but no answers came. Now i dont do the "why ?..." anymore.
  Our Family will never recover from this but all i can do is be there for them.
  I help run the suicide awareness group to help other people who are suffering, and i can say that to them that i do know how they are feeling and mean it.

• John & Edna Burnside both 58 years old, lost their son Richard to suicide in august 2004. Richard had a ten year old daughter Kayleigh. A phone call from john's younger brother Richard in August 2004 began the chain of events leading John and Edna into the grief stricken world of suicide. It was through their own quest to understand "why" that they were to meet with other people in the same situation askinking the same "why"; not being able to comprhend a loved one taking this step and not understanding how they did not stop it taking place.
  Richard or Rikki, Tricky Dickky or Rikki the Bold was 36 years old, 5'10" with dark hair and a handsome profile. He had battled problems with alcohol and the ensuing run-ins with the law, but at the time of his death he was much better placed to be the success he should have been earlier in his life. He had the company of his little girlKayleigh who he doted on, he had found a job that he liked and had purchased his council home as well as being in the best of health.
  Why should he do this now?
  Richards funeral was attended by 800 people who all asked "why ?....".
  We battle to raise awareness and remove the stigma of suicide and in doing so have helped many a poor soul.

• George Campbell lost his brother in tragic circumstances in 2002.. His brother Donald was 46 years old and after a fatal accident enquiry, It was concluded that he took his own life by entering the canal. Even now the contents of the critical incident review carried out on April 2003 have raised further questions which Mr. Campbell would like answered to give closure to the family.

• Shona MacDonald lost her husband to suicide in may 2004. He had gone to his GP, who was arranging C.P.N, but was told it would be at least 8 months before he could get help. He died while waiting for his appointment. Shona was left with 2 small children to look after.

• Patricia Lancaster lost her husband Ian in 2003 to suicide. She was left without a husband and her daughter Abigail without a Father.

• Cath Munro lost her son John in september 2004when he was killed on the railway line leaving her and her two daughters devastated