***To mark 30 years of SoBS, Beeb, Susannah and Ellie, Winchester peer support group facilitators, are walking 30 miles to Winchester on Saturday 1st May 2021***                                                                                         

But why?

30 Years ago, in April 1991, Alice Middleton set up the first ever Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SoBS) peer support group and helpline from her living room in Hull. After losing her brother to suicide, Alice struggled to find anyone she could turn to for support so she placed an advert in her local paper to find others who had been impacted by suicide loss. With that advert, SoBS was born. Fast forward to 2021 and SoBS are a national charity with over 180 Volunteers and 55 peer support groups throughout the UK, along with a telephone helpline and email support, and this number is growing. Sadly, the need for SoBS' services are ever increasing and as a charity, wholly rely on fundraising donations to continue to meet the needs of those impacted by suicide loss.

All three of us Winchester group facilitators have been impacted by suicide loss. Beeb lost her daughter Bryony, Susannah her mum Kathy and Ellie her dad, Alan. The work SoBS do is an absolute lifeline to those impacted by suicide loss and we are all very proud to play a small part in their success.

Our group was formed in 2017 and since then we have supported, and continue to support, those bereaved by suicide by providing a way out of isolation and a safe space to talk openly their feelings and emotions with fellow people who just 'get it', despite their unique experiences of loss, whether recent, or decades ago.

If you can spare some pennies, it would be much-appreciated. Money raised will go to supporting existing peer support groups, the telephone helpline and email support, as well as helping to set up much-needed new groups across the UK. It's also about raising awareness for mental health, looking out for each other's wellbeing and showcasing the myriad benefits of peer support. 

https://uksobs.org/