Trust
Showing up honestly, saying the hard things kindly, and keeping our word even when it is inconvenient.
About us
A cause built from lived experience, carried by a team.
Silence Between Sirens is a Community Interest Company working on suicide prevention for everyone who serves on the front line.
Where it started
I spent 16 years in uniform saying "I'm fine" when I wasn't, carrying the weight of the job in silence. I now live with PTSD.
In 2025, I came close to ending my life. Accessing psychiatric support eventually saved me - but the journey to survival showed me exactly where the gaps are.
Silence Between Sirens started because I want to make it safe to speak up early; to ensure no one feels alone; and to see that no one believes suicide is their only option.
That lived experience shapes everything we do. It is why we understand what it is to carry the job quietly, and why we focus on reaching people before breaking point.
What we stand for
This is a cause, not a company.
Where there is ever a choice between what is right for the cause and what would be easier, the cause comes first. We hold it in trust, and we are building it to outlast any one of us.
Impact
Being honest with ourselves about whether something changes anything, not just whether it felt good to do.
Commitment
#NeverAlone is how we mean people to feel, and how we treat each other while we build this.
One question
Everything we do is tested against it: does this reach someone before they get to breaking point, or does it just look like it might?
Nothing about them, without them
The people we are here for have a voice in what we do. Lived experience sits alongside professional expertise, not behind it.
The team
The people behind Silence Between Sirens
Hannah Cooper
Founder & Founding Crew
I spent sixteen years in uniform across different police forces, saying “I’m fine” when I was not and carrying the weight of the job in silence. The job did not break me overnight; it happened one call at a time, until PTSD brought my career to a cliff edge.
Accessing the right support showed me exactly where the gaps are, and that even when everything falls apart, life can be rebuilt. I founded Silence Between Sirens to make it safe to speak up early, so that no one in the emergency services carries it alone. My book of the same name tells the whole story.
Tom Martis-Jones
Founding Crew
I served on the frontline with the Metropolitan Police, mostly in response, dealing with a wide range of traumatic incidents and seeing first-hand the impact the job has on colleagues across every service.
I joined Silence Between Sirens because emergency services workers need support that understands the environments they work in. That means reducing stigma, providing care that resonates with people on the frontline, and changing the culture around mental health and wellbeing. My part is helping build an organisation that equips people at every level to recognise when someone is struggling and know how to support them.
Richard Goold
Founding Crew
I know what it is to go from one difficult job to the next, and how rarely there is space to process what you have seen, or to properly support the people around you. I served as a frontline response officer with the Metropolitan Police in one of South London’s busiest boroughs.
Alongside that, I have spent my career building and leading consulting firms. Those two halves of my working life rarely meet. Here they do. What I experienced as a response officer is why this matters to me; what I have learned outside of this is what I can bring to it.
Our ambassadors
People from across the emergency services who speak up, so others can.
Phil Woodland
Ambassador · Police officer, 20 years' service, mid Wales
I am a husband, father of three and police officer with 20 years’ service, living in mid Wales.
After being diagnosed with PTSD as a result of my experiences in policing, running became a huge part of looking after my mental health, giving me space, perspective and an outlet.
In 2025, I started my Instagram page to bring together mental health and fitness, challenge the stigma around talking, and remind police officers, emergency service workers and the wider community that speaking up is a strength.
You are not alone. It is okay to talk.
Carole Cooper
Ambassador · NHS crisis worker, 14 years' service
I am Carole ‘Caz’ Cooper, proud mum to two amazing daughters, one of whom is Coops and the other a serving police officer.
I qualified as a social worker in 1982 and have spent the past 14 years as an NHS crisis worker at a Sexual Assault Referral Centre. I have seen first-hand the impact of vicarious trauma on professionals.
I am passionate about supporting Silence Between Sirens, reducing mental health stigma and ensuring every emergency service worker can access timely, appropriate support to help prevent suicide.
Jamie Reeve
Ambassador · Firefighter, 27 years' service
I am Jamie, a firefighter with over 27 years of service and a Master Breathwork Teacher.
The reason I speak openly about mental health is deeply personal. When my brother, who was also a firefighter, was seriously assaulted and left with a devastating brain injury, navigating the grief and anger that followed changed my life.
I share my story because I know how easy it is to struggle in silence. I want others to know that it is okay to struggle, it is important to talk, and there is strength in reaching out for support.
Lauren Bradford
Ambassador · Metropolitan Police, 13 years' service
I am Lauren, a Public and Personal Safety Training (PPST) Instructor and Emergency Life Saving (ELS) Instructor with the Metropolitan Police, with over 13 years’ service, mostly on the frontline.
After experiencing one too many traumatic incidents in 2025, I stopped to prioritise my wellbeing. Therapy helped me rebuild and taught me that asking for help is a strength, not a weakness.
Now an ambassador for Silence Between Sirens, I am passionate about challenging mental health stigma and reminding others they are never alone. I also run a weekly Walk and Talk Welfare Group at Hendon Police College, and raise awareness and funds through running events.
Gareth 'Gee' Smith
Ambassador · Firefighter, 23 years' service, Hampshire
I am Gareth ‘Gee’ Smith, and I have been firefighting for 23 years in Hampshire.
I choose to be vocal about speaking up and seeking support because I understand from first hand experience both the difficult internal battle with accepting the need and reaching out for help, and the difference this can make to an individual’s wellbeing when they do.
I am the lead for Walk and Talk 999 Portsmouth, and a willing listener for anyone who needs it.
Jess Johnston
Ambassador · Detective and Family Liaison Officer
I am Jess, a Detective and Family Liaison Officer. I spend my days investigating serious and complex crimes against children, and helping families navigate the most unthinkable grief after a loved one is lost.
I have seen first-hand, and felt, how heavy this kind of work can be - recently described perfectly to me by a barrister in court as ‘emotional whiplash’.
I have lost too many friends and colleagues to mental health struggles. I believe in everything Silence Between Sirens stands for and cannot shout it loud enough - you are never alone.
Jules Swain
Ambassador · Paramedic and Team Leader, 17 years' service
My day to day role involves managing a team of 25 staff, a large part of which involves staff welfare and wellbeing.
Given the nature of the things we deal with, it is very important to me that staff feel they can approach me for support when required, to enable them to process what they have seen.
I also work as an Operational Commander, with responsibility for on scene management of serious incidents.
Josh Verdes-Reinke
Ambassador · Area Dispatch Lead, North West Ambulance Service
I am Josh, an Area Dispatch Lead with the North West Ambulance Service, where I have worked for the past four years. I am also a Mental Health First Aider and a TRiM Practitioner and Coordinator, and I have worked on wellbeing and inclusion projects across the NHS.
Frontline voices need to be heard, and breaking the stigma around mental health starts with a culture where people feel safe to speak openly, ask for help and look out for one another. That is why I support Silence Between Sirens, and its message that no one should have to struggle alone.
Andy Mills
Ambassador · RNLI shore crew and Army Reservist
My name is Andy. I am a former blue light emergency service member, RNLI shore crew and an Army Reservist.
Fully committed to championing mental health networks and support across all emergency services.
Adele Dobler
Ambassador · Air ambulance pilot, 17 years' service, Thames Valley
I am Adele, a helicopter air ambulance pilot with 17 years flying in some of the most demanding environments there are, from remote parts of Canada and Africa to London’s Air Ambulance and now Thames Valley Air Ambulance.
Every shift means arriving on somebody’s worst day and making calm decisions under pressure. What holds my attention as much as the flying is what keeps people steady in work like this, and how we reset afterwards rather than carrying it home.
Pilots often feel they have nowhere to turn, because a question about mental health can put a licence at risk. That silence has a cost, and the industry needs to have the conversation before it is too late.
I wrote Free to Fly about fear, responsibility and resilience, and I work with the next generation of pilots on self-doubt, leadership and what comes after a hard shift.
Talk to us.
For partnerships, events, press, volunteering or anything else.
Silence Between Sirens CIC. A Community Interest Company registered in England and Wales, number 17272483.
You do not have to be at breaking point to reach out.
Silence Between Sirens is not a crisis service. These lines are free and there for you now.