THE parents of a woman who tragically took her own life have praised the support of a suicide bereavement charity.
Sarah and Phil Porter, from Ulverston, lost their daughter Heather to suicide in April 2022.
After Heather’s death, the family received support from the Cumbrian suicide prevention and suicide bereavement support charity Every Life Matters.
The charity is recruiting volunteers to facilitate their new Peer Support Groups based in various location across Cumbria.
The groups are aimed to support those bereaved by suicide and offer a space for shared experiences and openness and will run monthly. The groups will be initially held in Carlisle, Penrith, Kendal and Barrow and will take place in the evening to allow for as many people as possible to attend.
Phil and Sarah said: “Every Life Matters members know exactly where you’re coming from and that helps to reassure you that you’re not going mad. They enable us to be comfortable enough to talk things through, to say exactly what’s on our mind; our thoughts, feelings of guilt, hopelessness, sadness.
"All that and to not feel judged, is like the weight of grief shifting, becoming more manageable to carry around. I know that I don’t have to deal with this burden alone."
Every Life Matters is looking for volunteers who have themselves been bereaved by suicide and are comfortable to share their own experience and listen to the experiences of others.
Each support group is run by a team of three volunteer group facilitators. Between them, they facilitate the session, get the conversation started, make sure everyone has the opportunity to talk if they want to, organise refreshments, and generally look out for people. Group facilitators do more listening than talking, but they also usually find the groups a source of personal support as well.
“At Every Life Matters, we want to build a community of people who can support one another through this unique form of loss. To support them to connect, share, listen and learn from one another. All done, in a safe and welcoming environment," said Paul Ward, bereavement support manager at ELM.
Garreth, a member of a former peer support group in Kendal, explained the value of the groups.
He said. “I find it very helpful being able to discuss with people that understand the grief, the pain, conflict and the torture going on inside me as I try and put a brave face on for the rest of the world. When someone in the meeting says “I know how you feel”, they do and that means so much to me.
“Seeing others that have been bereaved by suicide helps me see that there is hope for the future. It also helps to see those who have recently lost someone as I can see how far I have come. It is so valuable to be able to get upset however that manifests itself without having to apologise.”
To find out more and to apply to become a Peer Support Group Facilitator visit: Peer Support Groups - Every Life Matters (every-life-matters.org.uk)
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