SToRMS is a small organisation based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire and set up in July 2015. It is a fund within the South Yorkshire Community Foundation, a registered charity whose goal is to improve the lives of local people.

SToRMS was set up in memory of Dan McAllister who unexpectedly took his own life in May 2015 aged nineteen.

Dan was an intelligent, popular, sociable, talented and apparently happy 2nd year Psychology student. The loss of this much loved young man, who had such a promising life ahead of him, left his friends and family bewildered. It was only after this devastating event that it became clear to those who love Dan how common suicide is in the UK, how little it is discussed and how little is done to prepare our young people to cope with life’s challenges and to avoid reaching this point.

Suicide is the biggest killer of men and women under 35 in the UK“Suicides in Great Britain: 2016 Registrations” published by the Office for National Statistics revealed 5668 people took their own life in Great Britain in 2016. Of these 4,287 were men; men are three times more likely than women to take their own lives.  Suicide deaths are preventable.

The silence around suicide means that this statistic goes largely unrecognised. There are many excellent charities providing support to young men with identified mental health problems and those able to seek help in times of crisis. Nonetheless, recent statistics have shown that “only half of all people who die by suicide have ever been in contact with specialist mental health services.” Crucially, many young men like Dan are not seen as at risk until it is too late. It is these men in particular who SToRMS aims to help.

SToRMS’ Mission is to reduce the number of suicides by:

1) Facilitating widespread open discussions about suicide

2) Promoting mental well-being and emotional resilience from an early age

3) Challenging gender stereotypes that prevent men from accessing help,

4) Highlighting the relationship between alcohol and mental wellbeing.

As a small organisation our main focus is raising suicide awareness in local communities, funding suicide prevention initiatives and improving support networks.

The money raised funds a variety of community based projects that impact everyone, not just men.

Please note that Storms has been significantly impacted by the COVID pandemic and as a result no longer provide training or deliver small projects. Any monies raised for SToRMS will be allocated to other local charities delivering services in line with our aims but we suggest you make donations directly to other charities of your choice.