AN anti-suicide charity will end its work in East Lancashire next month after its funding was scrapped.

CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) aims to reduce suicide rates in men aged 15 to 35 and provides a telephone helpline and website run by trained councillors.

In 2007 it appointed an East Lancashire coordinator, Jamie Scahill, to tackle some of the worst suicide rates in the country.

Figures, based on suicide rates in males aged 15 and over from 2007 to 2009, show that Rossendale has the second highest suicide rate in the country, 31.52 per 100,000 people, compared to a national average of 15.56. Burnley is 13th in the table, Hyndburn 16th and Blackburn with Darwen 19th.

The Government estimates that the average cost per suicide is £1.67million, including police time, funerals, lost output and intangible costs such as the loss of life and the pain and suffering of relatives.

But Mr Scahill’s role, which involves working alongside the likes of Burnley FC, Accrington Stanley FC and colleges in Accrington, Burnley, Nelson and Rossendale, had already been reduced from four days a week to one.

And now the primary care trust NHS East Lancashire has pulled the plug on its £30,000 a year support for CALM.

Jane Powell, the charity’s founder, said: “It’s very sad. We’re asking for a lot less than £1.7million.

“Unless we have support from the local primary care trust we can’t provide this service because unfortunately we haven’t got the money.

“We put in a grant application for a year’s worth of funding for East Lancashire, but that was turned down.

“The public are helping out and donating but it’s just not enough to support our costs and paying Jamie one day a week.

“As it is more people are calling us because other services are being cut and they haven’t got anyone else to turn to.”

A spokesman for NHS East Lancashire, which will close next year as the responsibility for buying and overseeing primary health services moves to GPs in the Government’s NHS reforms, said priorities for funding such as this would be reviewing by the new GP consortiums.

She said: “While NHS East Lancashire recognises that the service provided by CALM is extremely valuable, the finance originally provided from the PCT which also included money from the Big Lottery Grant, was only provided as short term funding.

“Discussions have taken place with the charity’s national development coordinator and NHS East Lancashire will work with CALM to identify alternative sources of funding.

“Existing alternative providers such as the Samaritans continue to provide an excellent service for those who need it. In addition the PCT funds appropriate services in the community such as the crisis response team and community mental health services.”

The CALM national helpline is 0800 58 58 58. It is open from Saturday to Tuesday from 5pm to midnight. Alternatively visit www.thecalmzone.net