Pieta’s annual fundraiser Darkness Into Light will continue to be sponsored by Electric Ireland until 2025. This year’s event takes place on Saturday, May 6 when around 100,000 people across 200 locations in Ireland will come together at sunrise for a walk, run, jog or swim to help raise funds and bring hope to people throughout the country impacted by suicide.
The CSO reported that suicide was the leading cause of death in men aged under 25 in Ireland in 2019. Darkness Into Light helps raise funds to allow Pieta to provide free suicide prevention, intervention and bereavement support to people of all ages. In 2022, Pieta delivered over 50,000 hours of free, one-to-one therapy, and helped over 6,500 people.
Helpline
The 24/7 crisis helpline received almost 100,000 calls and texts and supported close to 700 households bereaved by suicide. Almost 35 per cent of the people who presented to Pieta last year were aged between 18-35 years and a further 36 per cent were under 18. Pieta was founded in Dublin in 2006 to provide free counselling to people affected by suicide.
Pieta has over 200 qualified therapists and support staff across 20 centres. Darkness Into Light started with about 400 people walking the 5km course in Dublin’s Phoenix Park in 2009 but is now a global movement with people taking part in 200 locations, in 14 countries across six continents. Former Pieta CEO Brian Higgins was voted Marketer of the Year in 2017.
People can sign up and take part in Darkness Into Light at www.pieta.ie
