Serving you better: R;pple: Saving lives through innovative online interception
Lecture
Publication date:
15 November 2022
Last updated:
25 February 2025
Author(s):
Alice Hendy, CEO & Founder, R;pple
On 25 November 2020 Alice Hendy, CEO & Founder, R;pple, lost her only sibling, her brother Josh, to suicide at 21 years old. Josh had been researching techniques to take his own life via harmful internet searches. The content available online following a search of this nature currently provides mental health support in one format - a helpline. To ensure more help and support is given to individuals searching for harmful content online, Alice set up R;pple Suicide Prevention.
During the session, Alice provided an overview of R;pple's overarching purpose: preventing self-harm and suicide through intuitive technology.
R;pple is a digital tool, which if a user searches for harmful content online, they will first be guided through a filter of breathing exercises and then very simple, uncluttered and calmly presented strategies and forums, helplines and mental health services they can access both now and longer-term: accompanied with messages of hope and encouragement to keep safe.
Alice hopes you can support her mission to get people the mental health support they need at a time when they are most vulnerable.
The Impact:
- To date, R;pple has been downloaded over 850,000 times (free for schools, colleges, universities, parents, carers and charities, fee required from businesses)
- R;pple has now been 'triggered' 4,500 times, meaning it has intercepted 4,500 people from harmful online searches
- 24 people have approached R;pple to inform them that the tool intercepted online at their most vulnerable point and saved their life
Duration: 37 minutes
This document is believed to be accurate but is not intended as a basis of knowledge upon which advice can be given. Neither the author (personal or corporate), the CII group, local institute or Society, or any of the officers or employees of those organisations accept any responsibility for any loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of the data or opinions included in this material. Opinions expressed are those of the author or authors and not necessarily those of the CII group, local institutes, or Societies.