Official page for Not The Void UK
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notthevoiduk.bsky.social
Official page for Not The Void UK
@notthevoiduk.bsky.social
140 followers 22 following 240 posts
A confidential, compassionate, non clinical peer support group where adults in the UK and Europe can speak freely about suicide. NOT a pro suicide, method swapping group. Account run by group facilitators.
https://www.notthevoid.uk/
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notthevoiduk.bsky.social
As I'm setting up my laptop for todays meeting, I spot this parody 'MHBWT' box made my a dear mad friend who is fighting the system to make changes. It sits on a shelf and reminds me of everyone who has been dismissed or fobbed off when they reached out in a suicidal crisis. /1
A card card tissue box with a logo from Crappinghamshire mental health trust. It says Mental Health Bubble Wrap Therapy (MHBWT) Supplied: One box of bubble wrap One leaflet Contempt (please note, this is optional and supplied at the discretion of the clinician.)
November 30, 2025 at 1:01 PM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
We provide a space where people with lived/living experience of suicide can meet and speak freely about suicide​. We offer responses to experiences of suicide that are validating, meaningful, connecting and supportive. Our next meeting is on the 2nd Nov 3pm:

us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
A coarse grain tidogrsph of four figures stood together with light bulbs over their heads. They are in shades of blue, brown and pink.
October 26, 2025 at 9:29 AM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
The candles are lit for everybody we've lost to suicide and everything we lost to suicide and the way it still carries such stigma. My thoughts are with everyone impacted by the #LampardInquiry this week.
A yin yang candle holder with two candles lit and a card titled 'what did we lose' with a hairy monster creature and a small girl looking down into a well in an autumn wood landscape.
October 19, 2025 at 1:34 PM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
Having access to these guides has not just been a resource, they have been a stepping stone to talking about the way poverty, work precarity, housing issues and dealing with the DWP makes us feel suicidal. That has helped to collectively connect to anger, resistance and action.
A sample poster made by our amazing co facilitator, saying fuck you DWP, you will not push us into the Void, with love, Not the Void. It has photos of hissing cats and middle fingers up.
October 12, 2025 at 11:17 AM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
It's our first meeting back this Autumn and as always, I've lit the candle in remembrance of everybody we've lost to suicide and every bit of our lives that we've lost to feeling suicidal and being isolated by shame, stigma and oppression.
A pale blue candle with a sunflower bead at it's base os lit, behind on a turquoise stand are three cards, lilac, pale blue and pink. They say Your pain is real The part of me that feels judged is the part of me that desperately needs to feel seen and loved. You deserve to be treated with kindness.
September 21, 2025 at 1:13 PM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
At Not the Void, we don't risk assess each other. No one is put in the spot to speak. We don't grade suicidal experiences by severity or 'sincerity'.

Our group space allows us to get curious about suicide and our relationship to it:

/1
A big pile of plastic question marks. Two are lit from within, one is yellow, one is blue. Image created by Arek Socha.
September 8, 2025 at 7:36 AM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
If you are surviving, but only just, we're here.
If you are running out of motivation to go on, we're here.
If you need a confidential, non clinical, non judgmental community of people who are living with suicidal experiences, we are here; ready to share compassion and dark humour and solidarity.
Image created by Pheladiii at Pixabay. A black amd white image of the back of a person with short hair, wading through dark water while it rains.
September 7, 2025 at 7:39 PM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
Here at Not the Void UK, we've tried to provide more than a space to talk. Often people want to share resources, find training, get help with benefit stress and offer their own expertise. Members will attend other workshops or meetings together.
Not the Void UK Our first year in numbers Together, our members have spent 110 hours talking about suicide in a frank. compassionate, confidential space. We've seen around 600 registrations, with both new members and regulars, over Xmas week 2024, we has 58 registrations. We've used our annual subscription to Benefits and Work to provide PIP, UC and ESA guides to 12 members - so far! Guides at available, at no cost, to all members. We've funded four places on the 'when conversation turns to suicide' training to equip members to speak about suicide with people in their peer work and personal lives. Four of our members have stepoed into co facilitating our group, building on our group values of power sharing as peers. Find us at www.notthevoid.uk or email is on NotTheVoidUK@protonmail.com
September 3, 2025 at 8:23 AM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
#suicidepreventionawarenessmonth
It's September, World Suicide Prevention Day will be upon us soon (Sept 10th.) Here is a bit about us, our differing approach and ethics.
Not the Void logo, a zoom headset Our ethics 1. We talk frankly about suicide including thoughts, feelings, attempts and plans and the meaning suicide has in our lives. 2. • We recognise that there are as many valid reasons for feeling suicidal and wanting to die is not a sign of a disorder, a moral failing, a sign of pathology or an insincere cry for help. 3. We validate all experiences including those where you have sought help and not found it or where the help has been harmful. 4. We listen and give the responses people ask for rather than try to fix or coach. We don't aim to move you through your pain so you can tell us you feel better. 5. make space to understand what is happening - from which new possibilities and ideas can emerge. 6. We honour that through sharing, a sense of belonging and connection can naturally form. Connection is life sustaining. 7. We recognise you as the expert on yourself and we encourage each member to advocate for what they need. We welcome your assertive statements about what you know about your needs. 8. Every member arrives with a perspective shaped by their past experiences, the intersections of oppression and trauma they have been at and their unique personality. We strive to treat each other with respect, curiosity and kindness.
September 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
Update: Not the Void UK continues to be on our Summer break, but we hit out midpoint in 4 weeks time, we'll regather for our social. Work continues on the website, which is going to be hosted on Squarespace. Also, Heather finally sorted a spot of supervision out.
Cartoon, two men stand outside a show room with Sale on the door. One man stands by a fuzzy black cloud, whilst the second man gestures to a larger, dense black blob. "Sure, the abyss is great for staring into. But if screaming is your thing, you'll want to go with the Void."
June 30, 2025 at 4:11 PM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
Not the Void will have been meeting for an whole year, as of next Sunday. That means we've spent 78 hours together, talking about suicide and 156 hours of emails, workshops, planning, facilitation pre snd de briefs and accessibility conversations. I'm so grateful to everyone who's been part of this.
A group of four people all facing each other whilst light bulbs float over their heads.
May 18, 2025 at 9:30 AM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
Setting up for this afternoons second 'Tending to your wise, compassionate self' workshop at 2pm. Facilitators Gerry and Angela will share a technique we've can use support each other as we speak about our pain, aided by drawing and writing.
My battered old laptop loading up a zoom workplace settings menu, a round ginger cat face mug of tea next to my laptop.
April 6, 2025 at 10:49 AM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
Leeds! Demo on Saturday 3:30 pm Dortmund Square. Masks are expected for those who can wear them, but anyone who cannot is welcomed (it's not clear on this poster but has been queried and answered.)
Crips Against Cuts National Day of Action 22nd March 3:30pm DORTMUND SQUARE LS2 8RE LEEDS NEXT TO SAINSBURYS ON THE HEADROW MASKS MANDATORY ONE WILL BE PROVIDED IF NEEDED.
March 21, 2025 at 10:32 AM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
Sunday the 6th of April, 3pm, our Nurturing your Compassionate Wise Self workshop. You can register here, we have a few places. This is a blend of the experiential, educational, and our confidential, non fixing approach that honours experiences of iatrogenic harm

us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
A two-part workshop by Gerry Andrews and Angela Green Hello, we are both delighted to be joining your group to facilitate two workshops, and we thought it would feel helpful to share some information about what to expect from these workshops and how you can get the most from your experience. Purpose of the workshops • To provide an integrated compassionate body and mind wellbeing experience for you. • To provide some knowledge, about the nervous system, stress responses and body/mind relationships. • To practice and explore some mind/body tools and practices for you to take away to support your own wellbeing. • To facilitate some space to explore, share and learn from each other about your own body/mind experiences and practices. Structure: • Each workshop will be two hours on zoom and include an introduction, overview and closing session. Heather will do a short open and close of the workshop. • We will align the workshops as far as possible to your group ethos, practices and principles including confidentiality. • We plan to provide a varied mix of short-spoken parts with a few slides shared, some group discussion, group practice, smaller breakout room discussions and some use of the chat box. • We will provide you with a Workbook including content, practices and additional resources as well as other reflective tools and resources for you to continue your own exploration and learning. • We plan to deepen and expand the range of practices and learning in the second workshop, but we will be guided on this by your feedback and needs after the first workshop. The experience: • Assumes a positive intent with a warm welcome and sense of community, togetherness, where everyone matters as equals. • A feeling of being held, feeling heard, cared for and sense of connection with self and others • A safe non-judgemental interactive space to share, reflect, experience, practice and ask questions • Allows some flexibility in the flow and content depending on sharing and dir… In order to get the most from your experience we would like to invite you to: • Join a few minutes before we start prompt at 2pm and where possible, commit to stay to the end of the workshop. • Consider how you can support yourself to feel comfortable, supported and minimise distractions in your space. • Bring or have nearby anything which feels useful to help support your comfort or wellbeing eg snacks, warm drink, comfy blanket or any other nourishing items. • Take care of yourself and others and if you need to leave the session at any time for some reason, please let us know in the chat that you are leaving. We hope you can join us, and we look forward to holding this space with you. Any questions before or after the session contact us: Gerry Andrews email: gerryandrews@live.co.uk Website: https://gerryandrews.co.uk/ Angela Green email: angelagreen2102@gmail.com
March 7, 2025 at 12:22 PM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
Save the date! Sunday the 2nd March and 6th April 2-4pm, Not the Void is holding a workshop for members (past and present) in The Mind/Body Connection and Somatics. The workshop will host 18 people and you can attend one or both dates. /1
Risograph Not The Void poster, a silhouetted figure climbs a ladder up from am underground garden space into a wide open space, a large hamd clutching a scarred heart with the word Void on it, then chequered black and white Not the wording is above.
February 4, 2025 at 9:23 AM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
Not The Void group Spring news!

In February we are beginning our skill sharing sessions to allow people to practice different listening exercises and ways to talk about painful topics.

In March we have arranged a 3 hour Mind and Body/Somatics workshop, free to NTV members.

/1
February 1, 2025 at 7:43 PM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
Thank you to every single member who came to join us for this afternoons meeting, the sharers, the listeners, the new folks, the familiar faces. Thank you for being with all this pain, fear, anger, exhaustion. Love to all who couldn't make it today. The candle burned for our lost loved ones.
An orange candle burns next to an art print of Caroline Duffys Oranges poem. A little mari lwyd figurine clutches a heart, a cardboard dog pops out of cardboard box
January 26, 2025 at 5:22 PM
notthevoiduk.bsky.social
Not The Void UK meetings are on Sundays, 3pm UK time.

Jan 26, 2025 15:00
Feb 9, 2025 15:00
Feb 23, 2025 15:00
Mar 9, 2025 15:00

register below for the link, meetings are capped at 20 members.
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
A risograph poster of a silhouetted figure climbing a ladder out of a lush but wild garden through a skylight. Above a giant hand hold a heart with the word Void on it. Text reads Not The Void.
January 17, 2025 at 4:17 PM