Missed Birthdays

What a stand out campaigning organisation they are at Campaign Against Living Miserably.

At Asociat we are proud to have helped our client realise the jaw dropping and sublimely powerful Missed Birthdays installation which occupied the atrium at Westfield London to mark World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th 2024.

Missed Birthdays seeks to raise awareness of the devastating reality of youth suicide in the UK.

For us, its power lies in the way it draws you in to literally conflict your senses – it’s sheer scale, colour and vividity are a spectacle to behold…

And then, as you pass through the walkway beneath this vast canopy of birthday balloons, the dawning of what each represents – actual real stories of a young life cut short by suicide, is at once deeply emotional and overwhelming…

The devastating reality of youth suicide

In the last decade, 6,929 young people in the UK have taken their own lives. Each balloon in the installation represents an actual young person who took their own life, and a birthday they didn’t get to celebrate. Right now, suicide is the most common cause of death for those under 24. But these aren’t just stats on a page. It’s Amelia who never got to celebrate her next birthday. Sadil who never saw his 20th. Jools who didn’t make it to his 15th. Each story a tragic reminder that suicide doesn’t care how young you are…

The Missed Birthdays installation serves as a compelling prompt to remind us that we all have a role to play in keeping the young people in our lives safe – to educate people in how to do just that, this pioneering charity have also rolled out the CALM C.A.R.E. Kit as a vital resource for those concerned about their loved ones.

CALM’s mission is not for the faint hearted, but having been witness to the craft, love, dedication and commitment the entire team have poured into this campaign, and everything they do, we’re convinced that their mission is achievable.

What an important organisation CALM are.