EVENT REPORT: Supporting Each Other Through Loss

Our Supporting Each Other Through Loss event in Barrow on Saturday (15 October) brought together representatives from 22 different local organisations, each one offering support to people dealing with some aspect of bereavement, mental health, addiction, suicide or loss.

It was the first event of its kind in the town and it was organised by our volunteer facilitator in Barrow, Emily Griffiths. The Hadfield Trust as well as local donors supported the event financially, there was a team of volunteers and friends helping too and there was also great support from local MP, Simon Fell, from Andy Airey, one of the #3DadsWalking suicide prevention campaigners, and from presenter and performer, Bev Bishop.

Emily (centre) with speakers, Bev Bishop and Andy Airey

“Forty people from the 22 different organisations made the most of the opportunity to learn more about each other's services so there was a lot of networking going on,” says Emily. “There were statutory services, including the Police, as well as organisations offering specific support following a difficult bereavement, such as Child Bereavement UK and the Coroners’ Courts Support Service, or more generalised support such as Samaritans, St Mary’s Hospice and The Farming Community Network. Having all these organisations gathered in one room was brilliant and it meant that those people who came along to find out more could see for themselves just how much support is out there in Barrow and beyond when you need it.”

A Directory was created for the event, including brief information, contacts and social media links for more than 30 organisations in all, including those that couldn’t attend. The Directory can be downloaded here.

Almost 80 people took part in the event overall and a highlight of the morning was a presentation by Andy Airey, one of the #3DadsWalking, talking about his daughter, Sophie’s suicide, the Dads’ first walk in 2021 and fundraising for Papyrus and, most recently, the three Dads’ walk between the four UK parliaments to raise awareness and to campaign for suicide and its prevention to be a compulsory element in the National Curriculum. You can find out more about the walks and the campaign at https://www.3dadswalking.uk/.

JOhn Purdie of SBS CUmbria introduces Andy Airey, one of the 3 Dads Walking

Cumbrian MP, Dr Neil Hudson, has put forward an Early Day Motion in Parliament in support of this campaign so any help that you can offer in encouraging your own MP to support that would be much appreciated.

Andy’s presentation was followed by a film, Finding Magic, and a Q&A with Bev Bishop, a performer who has herself been bereaved by the suicide of one of her sons, Jess. You can find out more about Finding Magic and about Bev online at https://beverleybishop.com/finding-magic/.

After Bev’s very moving presentation and a song and ukulele music from SBS volunteer, Frank Ritchie, Barrow MP, Simon Fell closed the morning’s proceedings and spoke about his personal experience of losing a friend to suicide in his early 20's, something that has had a lasting impact on him.

SIMON Fell MP meets Michael Cassell of MIND in Furness

To close the day, 17 people participated in an afternoon workshop specifically for the suicide bereaved, led by Bev Bishop.

“The aims of the day were to raise awareness of the need for support and also to show that support is available,” says Emily. “I think we also achieved a strengthening of networks and contacts among those organisations that offer support - something that will be hugely valuable as we work together in future – and we also demonstrated the value of talking about suicide and creating opportunities for conversations that don’t avoid the issues a lot of people are facing.”

“While my greatest wish is that no one has to experience such an awful loss, as long as there continues to be a need, SBS and other organisations will continue to work with each other and with those who are bereaved to provide whatever comfort, support and care we can.”