Grieving parents deliver "powerful" message on youth suicide at parliament meeting

Grieving parents have delivered a "powerful" message on teaching mental health lessons in schools as they met with the Scottish Government. Mike Palmer, Andy Airey and Tim Owen - who each lost a daughter to suicide - spoke to education secretary Jenny Gilruth on Thursday as they backed the Daily Record campaign Save Young Lives. The trio successfully fought for suicide prevention training to be delivered in English schools and are now calling for classrooms north of the border to follow suit. The dads are taking action in support of our campaign, which was launched this week in response to an epidemic of youth suicide. Following the meeting, Ms Gilruth said: "I am very grateful to the dads for the powerful meeting, which was a reminder of the risks of suicide and the need to open up conversations, which we know can save lives. "I have been amazed by the campaigning that they have done to raise awareness on this issue and I have been really taken by the points raised. "Around an eighth of Scotland's curriculum is supporting young people’s health and wellbeing. "It would be my expectation as Education Secretary that these topics are discussed through Personal and Social Education lessons. "I will ask that Education Scotland consider this matter again as they take forward reforms to the curriculum, which are being led by Scotland’s teachers.” Campaigner Susan Hart, who lost her 16-year-old son Jordan to suicide, told the Record the minister must make sure her actions speak louder than words. The mum, 54, said: "It's a huge step forward that the government has met with these three dads, but I hope it's clear that this mental health training in schools is needed now. "This is a national emergency and Jenny Gilruth should take action directly after the meeting to move quickly. "We can't still be waiting five years down the line. If that happens, we will lose far too many more young people." Susan's son Jordan passed away in 2020, just days before his 17th birthday. He dreamt of joining the RAF and becoming a personal trainer. But his loved ones have been left heartbroken to know those were dreams they will never get to see him achieve. The mum, from Blairgowrie, is now calling for Gilruth to meet with families impacted by youth suicide. She added: "I'd ask that Jenny meets with families across Scotland who have been devastated by suicide. "She needs to see the nightmare we are living with every day. She needs to see the pain we feel knowing we will never see or hold our children again. "She needs to understand that we need help to try to prevent other families from having to go through this." Campaigning dad Mike, who lost his 17-year-old daughter Beth in the same year Jordan died, travelled from his home in Manchester for the meeting. He added: "Now that we have met with Jenny, we hope she understand the Scottish Government can do better. "They need to take action now and get in line with the changes that have already been made in schools in England. "I have met so many families up and down Scotland that are dealing with this nightmare every day and will be for the rest of their lives. "As parents who have been impacted by suicide, I don't think that we are asking for too much. "So while we thank Jenny for the time she spent with us, we hope that she will keep to the promise that she will look into how to do this and come back to us with positive news." Mike started the Three Dads Walking group alongside Andy and Tim after the three bonded over the loss of their daughters. Together, they have been fundraising and spreading awareness on youth suicide for the last four years across the UK. The Daily Record launched its Save Young Lives campaign on Thursday after we a series of articles on the number of young people dying due to suicide sparked a fresh debate on how to prevent more tragedies. We make three key demands: The most recent statistics show that 26 per cent of deaths among young Scots are by probable suicide. Yet thousands of kids in crisis are languishing on mental health waiting lists - some for years - despite our government’s promise they should be seen within 18 weeks of referral. The last recorded data on youth deaths in Scotland from 2023 shows that of the 304 young people who died, 79 deaths were caused by probable suicide. The latest statistics from Public Health Scotland show thousands of children are being referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) every year. The Scottish Government’s waiting list target pledge states that 90 per cent of children and young people should start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS, but in August we reported that a Freedom of Information request to NHS health boards found some young people waited more than 1000 days for support. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Every suicide death is a tragedy, and our heartfelt sympathies go out to all those affected. Our aim is for anyone at risk or affected by suicide to get the help they need. “Schools are encouraged to consult with children and young people to ensure learning meets their needs, and to integrate support for positive mental wellbeing across the curriculum. “We are making good progress on waiting times across the country - CAMHS has met its 18-week treatment standard for three quarters running." For confidential support, Samaritans can be contacted for free around the clock 365 days a year on 116 123.