“Our aim is to prevent anyone feeling the pain we felt as a family after we lost Daniel. We truly believe that talking can save lives.” - Shirley Smith, Daniel's mother and co-founder of If U Care Share Foundation

Daniel O'Hare was just 19 years old when, without warning, he took his own life in 2005. Bereft of any support from 3rd parties, Daniels' mother began a campaign in memory of him, urging parents and adolescents to open sometimes difficult conversations around depression and suicide. The name of the campaign, and later charity, derived from David's family, who believed that if he cared so much about them, he should have shared how he was feeling.

Listen to David introduce himself and the If U Care Share Foundation

Digital Safety and Inclusive Change at Work were honoured to have David Brown from If U Care Share come and speak to our delegates at the recent Digital Safety for Young People conference. Emotional real world stories had us all reaching for the tissues, but ultimately he left the audience full of hope over the foundations initiatives and role within the community.

David gave us all some top tips for looking after your mental health and wellbeing

-          Connect with the people around you 

-          Be active go for a walk or do something you enjoy

-          Keep learning, don’t be afraid to try new things

-          Give to others, even the smallest act can count

-          Take notice, be aware of the present moment

If you missed him on the day, and would like to hear more about his powerful speech, please sign up for our catchup webinar on May 14th at 1200 noon, here https://icaw-cic.com/digital-wellbeing-for-young-people2024

Watch Lucy's interview with David last month where they discuss the importance of mental health education and support ahead of the Digital Wellbeing for Young people conference.

Trigger warning: this interview discusses topics around adolescent suicide, self harm, and depression.