The Big Meet Up

About this event

The Big Meet Up is our first national get-together as United to Prevent Suicide. This is a day where we build something together. Your experiences have brought you here. The day is about what we create next.

Over five years, we have grown into a community of over 4,000 people across Scotland, united by the belief that together, we can prevent suicide. Now it is time to meet, connect, and create something that belongs to all of us.

On the day, we will write a shared declaration together: who we are, what we value, and what we are committed to. This declaration will become the foundation for a fuller manifesto that we develop as a movement over the coming year. By the end of the day, you will have the chance to sign something you helped create.

You will also have the chance to join training sessions to build your skills in areas like community organising, suicide prevention, and having difficult conversations.

This event is different

There are no keynote speakers. No sitting and listening. This is a day where everyone contributes.

Your presence matters. This event is different. We are asking you to come ready to contribute, whether that is welcoming others at the door, helping with the Zoom tech, taking notes, drafting the declaration, or simply being present. Not everyone needs to speak, but we need you in the room, because collective action itself is a form of prevention. When you register, we will ask how you would like to be involved.

Who is this for?

The Big Meet Up is for members of United to Prevent Suicide. Many of us hold multiple identities: you might have your own experience of suicidal thoughts or crisis, you might have lost someone to suicide, you might work in suicide prevention or mental health. All of these are welcome. We are simply asking you to come as yourself, not on behalf of your organisation. Your personal connection to this work is what matters here.

What to expect

The day will include:

• An opening session to connect and set the frame for the day
• Small group workshops where you will contribute to the declaration
• Training sessions to build your skills
• Creative activities and time to connect over breaks and lunch
• A closing session where we finalise and sign the declaration together

There will be a quiet space available throughout the day if you need time out, and our team will be on hand to offer support.

Joining online

If you cannot be with us in Edinburgh, you can join online. The online experience will be different, designed to be manageable on a screen, but you will still contribute to the declaration and be part of the collective process. The online event will take place between 14:00 and 16:30 on the same day, and you should still use this page to register.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher United to Prevent Suicide