Creating a safe space for those coping with suicide bereavement

The effects of suicide are far-reaching, and grief is difficult and complex to navigate. One such organisation, Kent & Medway Amparo, who provide support for Suicide Bereavement, have been nominated for the Kent Mental Wellbeing Awards. Neive Wright from the awards team investigated.

 

Charity Listening Ear offers the Amparo service, a free and confidential postvention for those bereaved by suicide. Amparo means “shelter” or “safe space” in Spanish, and that’s precisely what the Kent & Medway branch aims to provide.

Since 2021, they have worked tirelessly to offer practical and emotional support to anyone affected by suicide, from family and colleagues to social media connections and beyond. The team includes Leader Karen Ager, Suicide Liaison Workers Carrie Revell, Stuart Walker, and Karen Ruddell, along with Projects and Partnerships Lead Jenny Talbot.

Support through Listening Ear has no timeline; the Amparo service is available regardless of where an individual is in their bereavement journey, whether it’s been a day or ten years. The support continues for as long as each person needs—it doesn’t just ‘stop’ when a case is closed. Practical support may involve dealing with police and media inquiries or managing wills and paperwork.

In contrast, emotional support provides a safe, non-judgmental space to normalize the complex emotions that follow the suicide of a loved one, friend or colleague, offering a dependable place to debrief and work through the experience.

A key priority for the Amparo team is ensuring the project reaches marginalized communities and that the services are accessible and promoted equally. One of the Suicide Liaison Workers has worked closely with the Sikh community to tackle the stigma surrounding support and address any barriers this group may face in accessing the suicide bereavement services Amparo provides. Another team member is also working on an initiative to improve support for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities.

One person touched by the Amparo services shared, “I felt they knew me. She listened and helped me navigate through the early days after my father took his life, then stayed with me as I began to process everything. I know those at Amparo had my best interests at the core of each session; it felt like I had a supportive, caring friend.” Another person said, “I felt I had a friend to hold my hand and support me through one of the most traumatic times of my life. I owe her a great debt of gratitude for her kindness, empathy, and compassion.”

To find out more about Amparo, visit https://amparo.org.uk/

The Kent Mental Wellbeing awards is an annual event designed to showcase the people, organisations and initiatives that help us cope with life. The event’s three themes are: kindness and compassion; wellbeing; mental health.

Whether it is in school, business, community or family, so many of us have been lucky to have people and organisations with ideas, tips and tactics to help us cope. It is time to celebrate those mental health and well-being champions in our community and share this best practice.

The awards will be staged in October by the mental health charity Mind in Bexley and East Kent in collaboration with a range of wellbeing and mental health organisations.

Nominations can be linked to a simple act of kindness that lifted the spirits, a business that has improved staff wellbeing, through to a targeted initiative delivered by a charity or statutory organisation to support a mental health issue.

The event is sponsored by Kent County Council, Kent Community Foundation, ADM Computing, GrainLNG – National Grid, Medway Council, Optyma Security, Wave Community Bank, Cactus Graphics and CommunityAid.

Submit nominations at www.kentmentalwellbeingawards.org.uk

For awards news follow @KentMWAwards on Facebook and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.