In creating this shared online space, our purpose is to help people in the UK who are bereaved by suicide.
Remembering loved ones
A person who dies by suicide is not defined by that death. They lived a unique life that touched all the people who loved and cared for them. The beautiful memorial pages on our site celebrate those lives – a place for families and friends to express their love and care through the images, words and video of lives shared.
Improving the inquest ordeal
In most cases, families and friends who lose a loved one to suicide did not see (or recognise) the signs in advance – the loss is sudden, unexpected, and traumatising. And the largest part of this majority will also have never experienced court proceedings, much less an inquest. We are working with Coroners and others to create more consistently compassionate engagements for people bereaved by suicide attending inquests.
Building communities based on lived experience
As well as throwing us into a complex grief where conflicting emotions and ‘what ifs’ can resonate profoundly and painfully, being bereaved by suicide can be the loneliest feeling in the world. Even close friends often don’t know what to say; sometimes they are so afraid of saying the wrong thing that they say nothing at all, leading to an even greater sense of isolation.
Shared grief creates unexpected community bonds. By connecting the suicide bereaved with others who have also experienced a loss by suicide, the Charity helps them, over time, to navigate their grief with greater self-compassion.
Signposting suicide bereavement support
According to the largest ever suicide bereavement survey*, over a third of people bereaved by suicide didn’t know what help was available, and 60% of people didn’t access support. These numbers aren’t just shocking – they are dangerous.
People bereaved from suicide are at an increased risk of dying from suicide themselves; of over 7,000 people interviewed*, 40% reported considering suicide, and 8% had attempted suicide as a direct result of their loss. It is clear to see that suicide bereavement support IS ALSO suicide prevention.
Our charity cascades awareness of the specialist assistance available following a suicide, increasing confidence to access support that is timely, robust, safe, and compassionate.
Guiding grief into purpose
Collective memorialisation provides purpose in grief. For many families, channelling their loss into suicide prevention efforts or supporting others brings meaning to their tragedy. This shared purpose creates sustainable momentum for change that individual efforts struggle to maintain. We are contributing to suicide prevention across society by harnessing the voices of the bereaved, and amplifying them so that business leaders, educators, and decision-makers are prompted to action.