Tameside mother who nearly took her own life launches campaign to spread messages of hope

A mother of two who nearly took her own life last year has begun putting signs up on high-risk bridges to let people in the same position know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Lisa Barnes, from Tameside in Greater Manchester, launched the ‘Bridge the Gap’ campaign last Saturday after considering suicide on a railway bridge before being talked down in 2017.

She is hoping to place handwritten notes along all of the high-risk bridges in the Greater Manchester area so that people know they are not alone.

The 46 year old told MailOnline: ‘The message we are trying to give is that when you are on that bridge, in that really dark place, if you are looking for a sign not to do it here it is.

Lisa Barnes, pictured here with husband Nick, daughter Molly, 18, and son Sam, 25, has begun placing messages of hope on high-risk bridges

The 46-year-old manager suffered from depression from last year and was talked down from a railway bridge by a negotiator

The 46-year-old manager suffered from depression from last year and was talked down from a railway bridge by a negotiator

‘I was talked down by a negotiator, and I’m here now to help other people and tell my story. 

‘Ring the Samaritans, ring the helplines, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. What seems really bad today, tomorrow it doesn’t seem as awful, and you are loved.’

Mrs Barnes, who works as a manager for British Gas, named the campaign ‘Bridge the Gap’ because of the gap between her being talked down from the bridge and getting help.

She added: ‘The NHS is amazing, every person I’ve dealt with has been amazing, but they’re underfunded. People can only do so much.

‘I came home and my husband was looking after me, and so it was the gap between it happening and being able to afford counselling.’ 

She is hoping her handwritten notes will give anyone in the same position pause to think, and potentially save a life

Mrs Barnes said: 'When I write them I really do mean what I say on them and I hope people can see that'

She is hoping her handwritten notes will give anyone in the same position pause to think, and potentially save a life. Mrs Barnes said: ‘When I write them I really do mean what I say on them and I hope people can see that’

Now Mrs Barnes is planning to expand her project through a GoFundMe page that hopes to raise money for further signs along more bridges

Now Mrs Barnes is planning to expand her project through a GoFundMe page that hopes to raise money for further signs along more bridges

After getting help Mrs Barnes found solace in mindfulness and messages such as ‘suicide doesn’t take away the pain, it gives it to someone else’.

She is hoping that by placing similar messages on bridges she might be able to make someone pause to think, and potentially save a life.

Mrs Barnes said: ‘They’re handwritten notes – it’s a personal note, it’s not just a plaque that some charity has donated. When I write them I really do mean what I say on them and I hope people can see that.’

Greater Manchester Police have been working together with Mrs Barnes to put up the signs and identify other bridges to add them to. 

She has been ‘blown away’ by the support she has already received, with more than 180,000 views on her Facebook page in just over a week.

Now Mrs Barnes is planning to expand her project through a GoFundMe page that hopes to raise money for further signs along more bridges.

If you would like to donate to Mrs Barnes’ GoFundMe page, please click here.

For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123, visit a local Samaritans branch or go to www.samaritans.org for details. 



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