VOLUNTEERS took part in a six mile trek to place messages of support and love on five Wirral bridges.

The Walk of Life, arranged by The Martin Gallier Project, saw 30 volunteers placed messages of hope, created by suicide survivors and members of the public, on some of the borough's busiest bridges to offer support for those thinking about ending their life.

Some of the messages included: 'Hardship prepares extraordinary people for extraordinary destinies'; 'Your story does not end here' and 'It never rains forever.'

Founder of The Martin Gallier Project, Jessica Gallier set up the project in memory of her father Martin who took his own life in 2017.

Earlier this year, Jessica opened a centre in a bid to provide support to anyone who needs it and provide specialist training.

She told the Globe: “When people are in dark places, they often feel like they have two choices; option of life and the option of death.

“By placing those notes on those bridges, what we are offering is a third option – a little seed of doubt.

Wirral Globe:

“They may be small, but people on those bridges just need a little pull back, a little reminder, a little something that tells them: you are wanted, your life matters, and help is out there.

“Some people are worried that posting notes on bridges may highlight them as suitable places to end one’s life, but we only have to turn on Facebook to realise that these bridges are already being used.

“Notes like these are often removed by the council, which feeds further into the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health.

"It goes everything we stand for as an organisation and as individuals bereaved by suicide.

“Should our notes be removed, we will continue to replace them until the powers that be make the decision to invest into safety in such areas.

"Even if they only stop one person dying by suicide, they are worth it.”

Anyone who wishes to support The Martin Gallier Project can visit

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/gallier-house

or

https://www.gallierhouse.co.uk/

Anyone can contact Samaritans for FREE any time from any phone on 116 123, even a mobile without credit. Other services available include the Papyrus Hopeline on 0800 068 4141, Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide on 0300 111 5065, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) on 0800 58 58 58, Mind on 0151 512 2200, NHS 111 or Wirral Pathfinders on 0151 334 2111.