The Rose Paterson Trust, a charity established in memory of Rose Paterson, has distributed nearly £1 million to support suicide prevention efforts amid rising suicide rates in the United Kingdom. Founded by the family of Rose Paterson, who died by suicide six years ago, the charity aims to reduce the devastating impact of suicide on families and communities.

The trust was created by Rose Paterson’s husband, former Conservative minister Owen Paterson, and their daughter Evie. Since its inception, the organisation has sought to provide funding and resources to groups working to prevent suicide, with a stated goal of sparing families the pain of losing loved ones.

Owen Paterson highlighted the ongoing scale of the issue, noting that in the UK, a suicide attempt occurs approximately every three minutes, and a death by suicide happens every 90 minutes. He emphasised that suicide is preventable, pointing out that nine out of ten people who survive an attempt do not later die by suicide. “This shows that death by suicide is preventable and is not ‘inevitable’ – a stigma that adversely affects suicide prevention strategies,” he said. “There is hope.”

The trust has highlighted troubling statistics indicating that registered suicides have increased by 44% since 2007 and warned that the current suicide rates are the highest recorded since 1999. To address this challenge, the charity has stepped up its funding allocations. In 2026 alone, the trust is distributing £235,000 in grants to a variety of organisations focused on suicide prevention and mental health support.

Groups benefiting from the trust’s grants include the Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team, Bearded Fishermen, Every Life Matters, Scarborough Survivors, Shropshire Mental Health Support, and Suicide Prevention UK. The trust estimates that these funded initiatives have indirectly saved over 4,000 lives through their outreach and support services.

By supporting these efforts, the Rose Paterson Trust hopes to reduce suicide rates and provide critical assistance to vulnerable individuals across the UK. The family’s commitment underscores a broader recognition of suicide prevention as a public health priority requiring sustained attention and resources.