R;pple, the digital tool which offers breathing exercise, guidance and support to people researching suicide techniques on the internet has saved at least 24 lives.
Online searches for suicide methods have increased by 50% in the last two years with searches for suicide support lines also up by 150% since January 2019 (Semrush).
Alice Hendy, CEO & Founder at R;pple Suicide Prevention Charity, said:
“24 individuals have approached us to inform us that R;pple has saved their life.”
Alice set up the online tool after losing her brother Josh, on 25th November 2020 to suicide at 21 years old. After examining Josh’s phone, Alice found that he had been researching techniques to take his own life via harmful internet searches.
Alice Hendy, CEO & Founder at R;pple Suicide Prevention Charity
She said: “To ensure more help and support is given to individuals searching for harmful content online, I set up R;pple; a digital tool, which if a user searches for harmful content online, they will first be guided through a filter of breathing exercises and then very simple, uncluttered and calmly presented strategies and forums, help lines and mental health services they can access both now and longer term: accompanied with messages of hope and encouragement to keep safe.”
R;pple continues to make a difference to those at risk of suicide and has been downloaded over 875,000 times. The tool has intercepted over 5,550 genuine harmful online searches.
It’s free for schools, colleges, universities, parents, carers, and charities. Businesses who have already installed R;pple include West Ham United FC, RPC Law, QBE Insurance, Lockton Insurance, Manchester Airport and Save the Children.
Alice added: “Please, please, do not wait for suicide to happen to you, your family, your friends, or your colleagues before you do something.
“I hope you can support me in my mission to get people the mental health support they need at a time when they are most vulnerable. My aim is to stop any other sisters waking up and feeling how I feel each morning.”
How you can help:
- Encourage your organisation to deploy R;pple – liaise with your Wellbeing and IT teams and inform them that R;pple is a browser extension that can be deployed en masse for a subscription fee.
- Encourage individuals, parents, and guardians to download R;pple at home, for free, here.
- Encourage schools, colleges, and universities to download R;pple for free – liaise with your Wellbeing and IT teams and inform them that R;pple is a browser extension that can be deployed free, en masse.
For more information about R;pple, you can read a number of FAQs here and watch Explainer videos and R;pple Demo here.