As most people know, Sjamanistisk Forbund holds a lottery every year for the benefit of charitable causes. This has become a well-established tradition in which the local board decides which cause it will go to. It shows a wonderful spirit of community that guests, speakers, exhibitors and the public together contribute prizes to the lottery. Not least the fact that we together buy tickets for the same lottery we have donated prizes to. Previous recipients include Stabburshella, Friendship Nepal and Charity Bikers.
This year 880 tickets were sold, and the cause chosen was the local branch of the National Association for the Prevention of Self-Harm and Suicide (LFSS). It was clear that this was a cause the public liked very much. We also received many wonderful prizes; the main prize was a shaman drum made at Naturefest by Jan-Erik Fjelltrommeren and Jim Flatjord. Sjamanistisk Forbund donated the materials for it.
Photo: Bibbi Onsrud
The chair of Sjamanistisk Forbund Oslo and Viken, Lillian S. Eid, handed over the proceeds to LFSS's founder Lena-Maria Haugerud in a small ceremony. During the handover there was also time for a good conversation about values. It is easy to relate to a good deal of the values and mindset that LFSS is built upon, and many of them are also reflected in our own ethical foundation.
We at LFSS – the National Association for the Prevention of Self-Harm and Suicide – want to say thank you so much for this gift and for choosing to put the spotlight on the prevention of self-harm and suicide. This is not everyday fare for us, and it warms our hearts that you want to help make a difference and to support the work we do, says Lena-Maria Haugerud.
The gift goes to local work. "Memorial account for Jørn, Nannestad municipality." LFSS states that the money will in time be part of the work toward a major campaign that works preventively against self-harm and suicide in upper secondary school.
The National Association for the Prevention of Self-Harm and Suicide (LFSS) was founded in 2009 by Lena-Maria Haugerud. Since its inception, LFSS has had the aim of being an arena where people who harm themselves and their next of kin can receive support and guidance.
The organization works to remove stigma and create more openness in society around self-harm and suicide issues. Today LFSS runs a chat service, a helpline and conversations for people who harm themselves and their families. All of the help services are free, and everyone in Norway can make use of them, regardless of age, gender or place of residence.
"Our main task is to listen to the users. With us, everyone should feel heard, met and seen. The users decide for themselves how often they want to be in contact with us, and for how long they want follow-up," says LFSS's general manager, Lena-Maria Haugerud.
Long waiting times and a bureaucratic maze in psychiatry add an extra burden for people who are already struggling. The need for low-threshold services is great. LFSS receives over 1,000 inquiries a year, but unfortunately has only the resources to answer about 50% of them.
LFSS is built on the peer-support principle, which means that the volunteers have their own experience with self-harm and suicide issues, either as users or as next of kin. All volunteers and employees are bound by confidentiality, and you do not need a referral from a GP.
LFSS also provides training and guidance for healthcare personnel who meet our target groups in their setting, and works to raise awareness of help services and improve access nationwide.
Read more on the website of LFSS
