A SPECIAL memorial service for those touched by suicide will be held in Newcastle on Thursday.
The annual Wesley LifeForce Suicide Memorial Service will be held from 12pm-1pm at The Carriage Shed at Foreshore Park, Newcastle East.
The service is for the families, friends and communities bereaved by suicide to gather in a spirit of comfort, support and hope, and to honour the memory of their loved ones.
Reverend Keith V Garner AM, the chief executive and superintendent of Wesley Mission who will deliver a message of hope, said the loss by suicide was a devastating experience.
"The grief associated with suicide is complex and very difficult. Family members and friends can feel abandoned or rejected. Myriad questions often remain unanswered and, unfortunately, stigma remains," Mr Garner said.
"The death of a loved one to suicide is life-changing for those left behind. The process of mending a broken heart does not take a week, a month or a year but a lifetime.
Mr Garner said while the road to healing was long, those affected by suicide could draw upon inner resources and be in touch with their feelings to "find an appropriate attitude to the past, present and future."
The memorial will offer an opportunity for participants to place messages remembering the lives of those lost to suicide on a memorial wall. Messages can also be posted on an online memorial wall.
People impacted by suicide can contact Lifeline, a 24-hour crisis support service, by phoning 13 11 14.
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