The Cranmore Trust

Suicide is now the highest cause of death in men under the age of 50 years and, although the causes of suicide are complex, increasing numbers of suicides appear to be a spontaneous act, with no obvious long-standing psychological distress. Recent research suggests that around 20% of men and women in Scotland under the age of 35 years will experience significant suicidal thinking.  So, this struggle could affect any individual and any family at any time. We have to take action. 

The Gibson family, motivated by the loss of their son and brother, Cameron, to suicide in October 2019, at the age of 24, established a charity, “The Canmore Trust” (SC 051511) in January 2022 to act in suicide prevention and in suicide postvention with the following Aims:

To work with schools, colleges and universities to raise awareness of suicide and to prevent suicide, promoting an individualised “suicide safety plan”;

To establish a number of safe places where families affected by suicide can spend time, at no financial cost, rebuilding their lives after the suicide of a close family member. Trained individuals with “lived experience” of suicide are on hand to assist as required;

To ensure a co-ordinated programme of research investigating and identifying psychological and physiological risk factors in suicide;

To establish a group of trained “Experienced Friends” to work alongside the police and other agencies to ensure that one such supporter is immediately available to any family in crisis following a suicide;

To work across the suicide charities sector to co-ordinate and facilitate a unified approach to fund-raising and action against suicide. 

The Canmore Trust has particular traction in the dental profession and we frequently offer support to dentists, DCPs and dental students during suicidal crisis, including the distress caused by being investigated by the General Dental Council.

The Canmore Trust is busy with each of the above Aims, particularly in education and in suicide postvention.  We are excited to announce a partnership with the University of Glasgow as we fund the development of biological research into the aetiological factors in suicide.

Please come by our Canmore Trust stall – we would love to talk with you about suicide prevention within the dental profession as well as our new programme in biological research and, of course, our inter-professional conference in suicide prevention across Nursing, Dentistry, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine in Glasgow on 8^th and 9^th November 2024.