Passing on the baton 2 - Every Life Matters

As we’ve previously announced*, Suicide Bereavement Support (SBS) for Cumbria and surrounding areas is due to close at the end of June 2024*. This blog post is all about Every Life Matters, one of the organisations that will be carrying on, continuing to provide peer support in Cumbria (and beyond) and offering other services to those who are looking for support.

Every Life Matters is a Cumbrian charity, established in 2018. It aims to create suicide safer communities by providing training, campaigning and awareness raising, developing physical and digital resources, and starting conversations about suicide across Cumbrian communities. They also provide practical and emotional support to individuals, families, organisations and employers bereaved and impacted by suicide.

Since its inception, Every Life Matters has been providing a range of support to those who are bereaved by suicide and the organisation is now increasing its activities in this area. This has included one-to-one and family support, online peer support groups, support to employers, schools and other organisations who have lost a community member to suicide, and they hold annual candle lit vigils across the county, in recognition of World Suicide Prevention Day.

image from the Carlisle Vigil for World Suicide Prevention day

Every Life Matters has now employed a support group co-ordinator, Lucy Elleray, and has been recruiting and training volunteers in recent months to help run peer support groups across Cumbria. These monthly peer support group meetings launched during April in Penrith, Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness and Kendal and monthly meetings are also starting in Maryport and Workington in June. Find out more on the Peer Support Group page of the website.

Lucy Elleray, the Peer Support Group Coordinator, highlights the power of peer support from her experience after the loss of her partner, Joe: “It can be a very lonely journey, with some really complicated emotions that can be hard for others to understand. So, to be in the company of others who have walked a similar path, people who are facing similar issues to yourself, and people who just understand your grief - because they also live with it - is amazing.”

“These peer support groups are set up to offer support and community to anyone who has lost someone to suicide. That can be a child, a partner, a friend or a colleague. There's no judgement, just a warm and welcoming space to have a hot drink and some kind company. Being with other people who just "get it" is such a relief, even if you don't want to talk very much, just a safe, welcoming space is comforting.”

THere is an online closed Facebook Group available at Support after Suicide - Cumbria's Online Community | Facebook too.

Every Life Matters also has an online support Group via Facebook for those who cannot make face-to-face meetings or prefer the privacy of being online. There are details on their website and a link for enquiries about joining this Group here.

“It’s great that the option of peer support is going to continue to be available across Cumbria,” says SBS Chair, Emily Griffiths, “Every Life Matters has wonderfully committed staff, resources and excellent links to other statutory and non-statutory agencies across the county to further develop this aspect of their work.”

“In the past we have worked with them, and many individuals and families have received support from both organisations. For example, we’ve made good use of their printed resources and participated in the candle lit vigils, and they have signposted to SBS, which has featured in their By Your Side booklet. They’ve run very well-received training too, not only on suicide prevention, but also on the impact of suicide bereavement. Unfortunately, the need for this work remains urgent with support in high demand due to the continuing, tragically high suicide rates in Cumbria.”

Every Life MAtters hosted candle lit vigils across cumbria for world suicide prevention day

“Recently, it’s been great to see how Every Life Matters team has worked in schools with teenagers to get them talking about suicide and its prevention. And they’ve also run training for those working in the beauty and hairdressing sector, giving them the tools and ideas to have meaningful conversations with clients who are suffering with their mental health. Those sorts of suicide prevention projects were outside of the SBS remit and objectives but I am all too aware that those bereaved by suicide can be among the most vulnerable so the investment in prevention is so important.”

Chris Wood, CEO and Co-founder of Every Life Matters says, “Working with Cumbria Police, the NHS and Public Health, we hope to continue to develop the range of support for individuals, families and organisations across Cumbria who have been impacted by suicide. We are really pleased we have been able to continue the highly valued peer support meetings that SBS, and SoBS before them, have been running for the last decade in Cumbria. We hope these are a springboard for increasing peer support in other formats too.”

SBS will continue to share Every Life Matters news and posts on its Facebook Page for the next few months and we’re happy to signpost people to their resources, peer support groups and training – please just ask.

You can also find out a lot more about Every Life Matters on the organisation’s website at www.every-life-matters.org.uk/.

* Read more about our decision to close in the blog from last September at https://www.sbs.org.uk/blog/2023/9/4/announcement-of-charity-closure-planned-for-end-of-june-2024