A new Suicide Prevention Awareness Network Central Victoria group has developed the walk from the Dai Gum San Chinese precinct through central Bendigo.

The 11am walk will culminate with an official ceremony, sausage sizzle lunch and performances by youth band Chase The Ace and the Victoria Police Pipe Band.

The concept was inspired by a SPAN Geelong walk on Australia Day supported by 800 people in 2010 and 1400 people in 2011.

Bendigo mother Alannah McGregor and work related grief support co-ordinator Bette Phillips walked in Geelong and were convinced the experience should be available to central Victorian residents touched by suicide.

Mrs McGregor lost two children to suicide and believes the awareness and prevention walk can do a lot to educate the community and remove the stigma.

“We have lost Stuart, 20, and Angela, 16, nine years ago to suicide and as part of the grief experience you ask ‘why’ and ‘what if’ and that sort of stuff,’’ she said.

“In hindsight, we can now see things that could have alerted us to Angela’s death which we could have acted on but didn’t know at the time.

“I think it’s important for other community members to be aware of those things so it doesn’t happen to them in hindsight.

“Don’t be afraid to talk about how someone is feeling. Ask the questions no matter how hard they are.

“I use a quote, ‘Listen with your ears, listen with your eyes and listen with your heart’, because it’s often not in the words spoken but the way they’re said that you pick up something.’’

Mrs McGregor said she was amazed by the number of people who turned out for the Geelong walk.

“It wasn’t a sad thing, it was positive to see so many people coming together to work towards a prevention and an awareness of suicide,’’ she said.

Mrs McGregor said the coming together of people who had been bereaved and the support they found from each other was the strength of the Geelong walk and she hoped that would be replicated in Bendigo.

“I hope with the Bendigo walk people can experience what Geelong has achieved. Take away the shame and blame and open up the opportunity to get suicide out of the dark and into the open. Sadly, it can happen to anybody.’’

For more information on the Bendigo suicide awareness walk, visit www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au and click on the SPAN logo.