“There are ways of talking the world into being a better place.”
Liz Saville Roberts is the first ever woman MP in Plaid Cymru, the Party of Wales, she represents the constituency of Dwyfor Meirionnydd. She is the spokesperson for Home Affairs, Education, Health, Environment, Energy, Equalities and Government.
In her time in parliament, Liz has been a voice for issues like domestic violence, women’s rights, online bullying and many more. Recently, Liz has campaigned for more support and counselling in schools for students suffering mental health issues – a fast-growing problem among young people in the UK.
Now, Liz is using her voice to amplify the AskNowSaveLives campaign, encouraging others to get rid of the shame in speaking about their feelings, by not being afraid to open up and ask for support if they need it, keeping themselves and others safe.
How are you feeling today?
Today I’m feeling fine, don’t always feel like that and I think it’s quite difficult for us to talk about our feelings. It’s quite difficult to film myself talking about my feelings but I think for all of us it helps, doesn’t it?
What can you see from your window?
I’m lucky to be in my office at home, and actually it’s dark now so I can’t see all that much out my window but it looks out on the road that goes through the village where I live and I see people, the cars and the buses going by.
What makes you happy?
My dogs make me happy, and I’m lucky enough to have my dog with me here. This is Savvy, not really wanting to look at the camera, but she’s sat with me and that always makes me feel a lot better.
“Everything that we can do to help people reach out, so that they don’t feel that they’re on their own. That’s why I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this campaign.”
Why is preventing suicide important to you?
I think when it comes to what people can do to prevent suicide, I think it’s that sense of “What can be done to support people? What can I do? What even is my role as MP in talking about suicide prevention?” Everything that we can do to help people to reach out, so that they don’t feel that they’re on their own. Even how to talk to people, that’s why I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this campaign.
Why should I join the Ask Now Save Lives campaign?
Just thinking about why I’m so proud to add my voice to the Ask Now Save Lives campaign, particularly in the area where I live which is just a very rural area, people find it difficult to talk about their feelings. They often find it really, really difficult to talk about dark feelings or suicidal feelings. I think if more of us were to start talking about the sort of things that people are shy of talking about, if we can get it out of being a taboo, which I really hope will help people to express how they feel and see that there are alternatives and that there are ways of talking the world into being a better place.