Fareham Leisure Centre hosts a 6ft art installation in aid of suicide awareness

Fareham Borough Council is supporting Hampshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to raise awareness of youth suicide, through the installation of an impactful public art feature at Fareham Leisure Centre.

The installation is a 6ft sand timer which rotates every 40 seconds, mirroring the devastating global statistics that a person takes their own life every 40 seconds. The exhibit is a poignant message to try and help raise awareness.

Within the sand timer there are 161 balls which represent the 161 children and adolescents under the age of 19 years old who took their life in 2020 in England. The balls are divided into two colours – orange and purple.

The 113 orange-coloured balls represent the number of boys who took their own lives, and the 48 purple-coloured balls represent the number of girls.

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Councillor Joanne Burton, executive member for health and public protection at Fareham Borough Council, said: ‘We are honoured to host this public art installation at Fareham Leisure Centre and raise awareness of such an important topic. I very much hope that this impactful piece will encourage people to start a conversation and get the help they need.’

The installation will remain at the leisure centre from January 9 until February 6, and it will be accompanied by signposting to available services that can be accessed if you are experiencing a mental health crisis and need support to get through it.

Hampshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services are an NHS service that offer support to young people up to the age of 18, who are struggling with their mental health and need some support.

Ryan Grant, contract manager at Everyone Active, said: ‘We know that exercise can significantly improve mental health and well-being. In fact, participating in daily physical activity can reduce the risk of depression and general feelings of distress for adults by 20-30 per cent. That is why Fareham Leisure Centre is the perfect location for this incredibly impactful artwork, and we feel very privileged to have it.’