A rail worker who saved 29 people from taking their own lives since 2015 has been appointed an MBE. Rizwan Javed, from east London, works for the MTR Elizabeth line and has stopped 29 people from committing suicide after taking a Samaritan course that trains railway staff in approaching vulnerable people on station platforms.
Rizwan said there is still work to be done to spread awareness of mental health.
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Rizwan said there is still work to be done to spread awareness of mental health.
Report by Kennedyl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00 I think the MBE, I know it's about me, however, it's not just about me, it's about the wider
00:05 railway industry, everyone who wears this uniform. It's a true reflection of the hard
00:09 work we do day to day. It's a proud moment, don't get me wrong, it's emotional at the
00:14 same time. I just feel like being able to spread the awareness, not just only in the
00:19 railway industry but on a wider scale now, it makes me proud and I also think it's a
00:25 credit to my parents, the upbringing they've given me. It's an important factor. Without
00:31 them and their prayers, I would not be here. It's a massive issue, especially in the Asian
00:37 community. I mean, growing up, if you were suffering from mental health issues, your
00:42 mother would be like, "Have a paracetamol, you'll be alright in the morning." We need
00:45 to break that barrier and we need to get people from a young age talking about mental health.
00:51 The sad fact is, there's now youngsters that are subject to bullying, harassment, that
00:56 are turning to suicide. That's a young life lost.