Group say if they can help just one person, it is a job very well done

Katie Houghton, who has a long history with mental health issues, sent out an appeal for people who would like to join her in attaching messages of hope to Muskett's Way footbridge, over the Bromsgrove Highway.

In the past the bridge has seen several suicide attempts and a number of worrying calls to police.

Numerous councillors and campaigners, including former Redditch mayor Joe Baker, have fought to have the bridge made safer including putting a cage around it saying that unless something is done lives will continue to be lost.

The idea to decorate bridges and other suicide hot-spots was started by Lucy Mathison and Megan Embleton, who have attempted to take their own lives dozens of times, who are using their experiences to help others and their aim is to save lives.

Katie, who is passionate about mental health awareness, took a small group of volunteers to the bridge on Saturday and attached more than 100 messages to it. She said: "I made 150 notes of hope, mostly handwritten ranging from inspirational quotes to personal notes from my perspective of being someone who has felt suicidal and come through it to the person that may be reading it.

"I wanted to try to share some hope and knowledge that things can change no matter how desperate people may feel.

"I feel it's important to show that sometimes getting through that moment or that day is more than enough and that reaching out for help and expressing how you're feeling is okay, which is why at the bottom of every note is the Samaritans' phone number."

She added: "The four weeks of writing notes was well worth it and if they can help just one person that will be a job very well done."

For help and advice or to talk to someone, call Samaritans on 116 123.