News / Self Harm Awareness Day
Bristol potter creates 100 hearts to spread kindness
A north Bristol novice potter is planning a simple act of kindness around Self Harm Awareness Day.
Sarah Cook has created 100 small ceramic hearts and will be giving them away in busy city locations.
Since setting up her own studio, this is one of the first projects she has chosen to share with others.
Each heart is roughly the size of a pound coin, small enough to carry in a pocket or hold in the palm of a hand.
The aim is to offer a moment of connection and care to anyone who might need it.
Sarah’s family has been directly affected by the impact of self harm, and she understands how isolating and overwhelming it can feel for both individuals and their loved ones.
“I believe that talking about taboo subjects like this is helpful and positive, breaking down the barriers of silence, shame, embarrassment and awkwardness,” she says.
Each heart is individually glazed by Sarah, with a little animal help
Self harm is defined as any intentional act of causing injury or damage to one’s own body.
Figures from NHS England show that ten percent of people have self harmed.
It can be a desperate attempt to cope with, express or manage overwhelming emotional distress, pain or difficult, intense feelings.
Sarah, who has been promoting her 100 hearts project on social media, has been encouraged by hundreds of messages of support and personal stories shared with her by members of the public. She hopes that her work will make a difference.
She tells Bristol24/7: “I hope that my act of kindness and compassion will give people a moment of joy, hope and love.
“If people feel a little less low, if people pass the hearts onto people they care about it could spread ripples of kindness and maybe make people think differently if they were considering self harm.”
Sarah creates the tiny hearts in her studio in north Bristol
The hearts, which she describes as “created with love”, will be handed out around Self Harm Awareness Day in locations including Broadmead, Temple Meads, Park Street and Lawrence Hill.
The global grassroots campaign takes place annually on March 1 and encourages understanding and compassion around self harm, while reminding people that support and care exist in many forms, including small everyday gestures.
Details of organisations who can provide support and advice can be found here.
Mary Milton is reporting on Sea Mills as part of Bristol24/7’s Community Reporters programme, aiming to amplify marginalised voices and communities often overlooked by mainstream media.
This initiative is funded by our public, Better Business members and a grant from the Nisbets Trust.
All photso: Frontier Branding
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