Life & Progress see the importance of supporting those who have been bereaved by suicide. That is why this year we have selected Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) as our chosen charity. We have donated £1,500.00 to help improve the support for those affected by suicide.
SOBS is a registered charity that was founded on in 1991, that makes them 30 years old this year! Their charitable organisation was created by the inspirational Alice Middleton MBE, when her own experience made her realise that support was limited for those left behind by suicide. SOBS have over 220 volunteers working tirelessly across the UK. Their volunteers coming from every walk of life, but nearly all have been touched by suicide themselves. As such, their experience enables them to connect with others and to truly understand what they are going through. SOBS is a self-help organisation which aims to provide a safe, confidential environment in which bereaved people can share their experiences and feelings, giving and gaining support from each other, with the hope to break the isolation experienced by those bereaved by suicide.
Statistics show that each year in the UK more than 6,500 people take their own life.
Each suicide has a devastating and lasting impact on families, friends, work colleagues, and communities. We know that the shame and stigma associated with suicide can be difficult to talk about and survivors can often feel isolated at a time when they are suffering mental anguish. Even those fortunate enough to have strong support networks around them can still feel alone, unable to share their true feelings for fear of their impact on others which is why the work SOBS charity carries out is so important. Their mission is to provide a timely and open-ended free service led-by survivors for survivors, with the aim for no one to feel alone in their journey of loss.
“I rang the helpline. It felt like I had been let out of prison – my own
prison. I had found someone who truly understood my feelings
and helped me feel normal again. I realised I wasn’t going mad
after all.”
It is vital to connect those in need with support, to help alleviate isolation, and potentially prevent further suicides taking place, if you know someone in need you will find the contact information below –
Email – email.support@uksobs.org
Helpline – open 9am to 9pm Monday to Sunday 0300 111 5065
Punjabi Speaking Women’s Group – birmingham@uksobs.org
Life & Progress recognise the incredible work SOBS volunteers carry out each day, and we hope that our donation will help them to continue with their hard work.
To make a donation, please click here.
