We were humbled and honoured to be asked to take this fantastic programme under our wing and to help it grow to its fullest potential.
Taxi Watch has officially become a Talk To Tom initiative. We are delighted to welcome this programme into our ever-growing stable of offerings and are excited to welcome former Taxi Watch veterans as new Talk To Tom volunteers.
We were humbled and honoured to be asked to take this fantastic programme under our wing and to help it grow to its fullest potential.
After extensive consultation with various parties and the Charities Regulator, Talk To Tom was seen as an ideal home for this life-saving scheme due to our expertise and skill set, especially in the areas of Suicide Prevention Training.
Our QPR Training Programme was grandfathered into Ireland by Talk To Tom in 2013 and to date has seen over 10,000 people gain the life-saving skills the programme offers.
Taxi Watch was founded in 2014 by Kilkenny Taxi Driver and mental health advocate Derek Devoy and aims to equip every taxi driver in Ireland in Suicide Intervention Training. Teaching Taxi Professionals how to spot the signs of a person suffering through a suicide crisis, how to react, and how to get the person to safety.
Mr Devoy identified the need for this life-saving service through his own struggles and having learnt of the large number of individuals who take taxi transport, especially during the early hours of the morning, while on route to locations to end their life.
"Today is a great day for Taxi Watch," said Mr Devoy. "When I started this initiative back in 2014 my mission was to train every Taxi driver in Ireland in suicide prevention skills to help save lives across Ireland.
"In the last few years Talk to Tom has helped us grow and grow. The knowledge they have in both mental health and suicide prevention is outstanding," added the marble city native.
"They have guided me and Taxi Watch to where we are today and today I hand over the reins to the Talk To Tom team who are 100% committed to making Taxi Watch a nationwide service.
Derek Devoy
"I will continue to work with them on this journey and am looking forward to making Ireland a safer place in the fight against suicide. I just want to take this opportunity to thank Ray Cullen CEO of Talk to Tom for everything he has done for myself and Taxi Watch, without his expertise and help the dream would not happen.
"Talk to Tom and Taxi Watch have always been 100% voluntary and I would like to thank every person who has given their time to help us."