LifeForce Memorial Day Service 2007
LifeForce is a suicide prevention program dedicated to helping reduce the high rate of suicide in Australia. Each year a memorial service is conducted for those who have been touched by suicide have a place to come together in the spirit of comfort and hope.
The LifeForce Memorial Day Service was held at the Sydney Opera House, Northern Broadwalk on Thursday 16 August 2007. You can find out more about the LifeForce Memorial Service below:
MP's pledge at LifeForce service
The Federal Member for Sydney, Tanya Plibersek, pledged to work hard for suicide prevention at a simple and moving speech to mark the annual LifeForce Memorial Day Service at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday, 16 August.
"At a parliamentary and personal level I’m prepared to do whatever I can to prevent suicide," Ms Plibersek said, referring to official statistics showing that six to seven Australians a day commit suicide and that more than 200 others attempt to take their lives.
The memorial service, held inside the Opera House this year due to the inclement weather, fulfilled its function of bringing together people who had lost loved ones to suicide.
The MP was clearly moved when she saw those who had come to the service, and realised the need that had brought them together to remember those lost to them in circumstances that leave so many unanswered questions behind.
The Wesley Mission Superintendent, Rev Keith Garner, told those gathered that when troubles grew too much to bear there was a source of help; there were times when everyone felt incapable of coping alone with sadness; at such times it was important o remember Jesus' words, "Come to me …".
"Each person's grief is unique," Ms Plibersek said. Suicide prevention programs had to be geared differently to respond to someone who had family problems to someone who had a mental illness to a teenager driven to desperation over sexual identity. There needed to be sufficient funding to address all these needs.
In the meantime, the Member for Sydney said, it was important for any of us to reach out and comfort someone who was showing signs of despair. "It is sad," she said, "when people who are so afraid to say the wrong thing that they say nothing."
Grant Goldman, the well-known breakfast host of Radio 2SM, also spoke at the service. He said, looking around at the gathering, that these were faces that he recognised had seen a lot of pain, and that he was speaking from bitter experience: five people in his family, including his grandfather, had committed suicide, and he himself had been driven to the brink of suicide over a divorce, when feelings of failure had threatened to overwhelm him.
He mourned the lack of fellow-feeling in today's communities that left people feeling that they had no responsibility for each other’s wellbeing. In older times, communities were smaller and people looked out for each other, he said. "Now we sit at a computer and talk to people all over the world but we don’t know our neighbour."
The former actress and long-serving patron of LifeForce, Paula Duncan, offered yellow flowers to those present as a reminder of the importance of life. Normally, sunflowers are given out but this year the drought and other factors did not allow this. Some in the audience followed the traditional practice of throwing their flowers into the sea in memory of their lost ones. All those present were given, for the first time, a sunflower badge to remind them of the work of LifeForce in suicide prevention.
– Dinoo Kelleghan
All photos are owned by Wesley Mission. These images may not be reproduced without the express permission of the photographer. Please contact Wesley Mission for more information.
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Amber Lawrence and Luke Dixon |
Master of ceremonies Christine Morgan |
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Lifeforce Memorial service, concert hall, Northern foyer, Sydney Opera House |
Grant Goldman's address
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Lifeforce Memorial Service |
Lifeforce Memorial Service |
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Pula Duncan's address |
Tanya Plibersek's MP address |
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Tanya Plibersek's MP address |
Tanya Plibersek, Carol Garner and Rev Keith Garner |
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Tracey Levett performing 'My heart can always speak to you' |
Rev Keith Garner's address |
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Casting flower at the Lifeforce memorial service |
Carol and Rev Keith Carner casting flower at Lifeforce |
Wesley LifeForce 2006
Memorial Day Service - Sydney
The LifeForce Memorial Day Service was held at the Sydney Opera House, Northern Broadwalk on Thursday 10 August 2006. You can find out more about the LifeForce Memorial Service below:
Memorial Day Service - Newcastle
The LifeForce Memorial Day Service was held at Customs House, 1 Bond Street, Newcastle at on Sunday 15 October 2006. This was the first time the Memorial Service was held outside of Sydney.
LifeForce aims to educate, empower and resource Australian communities to be aware of the issue of suicide, to recognise the signals of suicide, to effectively intervene and minimise the danger of suicide, and to be sufficiently resourced to refer the person with thoughts of suicide onto appropriate, qualified help.
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