Suicide Bereavement UK Conference 2023
/Back in September, Emily and Kitty from SBS attended the annual SB UK conference in Manchester. Suicide Bereavement UK is all about research and training – you can find out more here https://suicidebereavementuk.com/online-modules/.
Its annual conference is an opportunity to share the latest research results, bring together experts and those with first-hand experience of bereavement by suicide and promote training for those supporting the suicide bereaved.
It's hard to cover everything but Emily and Kitty both made the most of their days and we want to share some of their discoveries, recommendations and thoughts:
Armed forces
There’s a lot of work going on to support members of the armed forces and veterans with their mental health, especially those who are bereaved by suicide.
Dr Sharon McDonnell is the Managing Director of SB UK and she presented her research with members from across the three armed services about their specific needs for suicide bereavement support. She is working on a series of service-specific booklets for serving and ex-service personnel and their families. You can find out more about this work here https://suicidebereavementuk.com/armedforces/
SHARON’S At Your Side gUIDES ARE ALMOST READY FOR USE AND DISTRIBUTION
Sleep and dreams
When you’re bereaved, not only is your sleep disrupted but your dreams can be particularly disturbing and lucid.
Charlie Morley gave a practical presentation about breathing techniques and various other techniques to use to improve your sleep.
“Charlie argues that nightmares are usually the mind’s attempts to heal and should be seen as positive,” says Emily.
chARLIE MORLEY DISCUSSED HIS WORK TO IMPROVE SLEEP AND TO HELP A WIDER AUDIENCE
Kitty also attended this session: “It was my favourite part of the day. I’ll be trying some of Charlie’s techniques. It was encouraging to know that how I dream isn’t unusual and there are ways of learning from other people that will make a positive difference.”
Find out more about Charlie and his work at www.charliemorley.com and his book, Wake up to sleep looks really helpful too. The sub-title, 5 Powerful Practices to Transform Stress and Trauma for Peaceful Sleep and Mindful Dreams, says it all.
Luna and support for children and young people bereaved by suicide
Endurance swimmer, Anna Wardley, has established a social enterprise called Luna with the aim of ensuring that every child or young person who experiences the death of a parent or primary carer by suicide receives timely support.
aNNA’S CHARITY, LUNA, IS INVOLVED IN CREATING AND PROMOTING RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
“There are lots of resources on the Luna website,” says Emily, “and the team there are focused on training for professionals on how to support suicide bereaved children. It’s such a sensitive and specialist area, it’s good to know that people with relevant first-hand experience are involved in developing approaches to support youngsters in future.”
You can find out lots more here https://teamluna.org/ and The Hub area is highly recommended.
One aspect of Anna’s own experience really resonated with Kitty: “Anna talked about how she was very confused by her own feelings after her Dad died and she was unable to talk about her feelings and put them into words for several years.”
Exhibition discoveries
Like many conferences, the SB UK annual meeting also includes a big exhibition with stalls taken by all sorts of charities and organisations. Luna (see above) was one of these and also Quinn’s Retreat (see last year’s report) but there were several others noted by Emily whose work may be helpful or of interest:
Mentell - Mentell provides groups called circles for men aged 18+ to talk in a safe and confidential space, free from advice and judgement. The website is at https://www.mentell.org.uk/ and there are plans to start a circle in Kendal.
If U Care Share – a charity based in County Durham that’s all about supporting families affected by suicide. The website is at https://www.ifucareshare.co.uk/ and they also organise an annual dawn walk to the Angel of the North as a fundraiser and for awareness.
WAY Widowed and Young – WAY is a UK charity that offers a peer-to-peer support network for anyone who's lost a partner before their 51st birthday – married or not, with or without children, inclusive of sexual orientation, gender, race and religion. They hold events in Carlisle and are able to put people in touch with others in their locality for mutual support. Find out more at https://www.widowedandyoung.org.uk/.
AMPARO Support After Suicide Partnership – AMPARO offers 1:1 support and practical help including things like help with Coroners’ Court and dealings with the police. They are active in Lancashire at present. Find out more about their services at https://supportaftersuicide.org.uk/member/amparo/
SOBS Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide – SOBS is where SBS started and, as we wind down next year, it’s good to know that they’re already starting a peer support group in Penrith. They are active on social media and their national website is at https://uksobs.org/about/.
Our Facebook channel has various posts relating to these organisations with links if you’d like to Share them. And, for more recommendations, our report on the 2022 SB UK conference can be found here: https://www.sbs.org.uk/blog/2022/10/5/suicide-bereavement-reflecting-on-progress-a-conference-report
