“I’m delighted to accept the role as Ambassador of the Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide. I feel privileged to be asked to represent the work that SoBS do and the continued part that our work plays in the national conversation about the vital need to provide support for those bereaved by suicide. The work and the people that make the Charity all that it is are very close to my heart and I feel honoured to be asked to take up this role.
I’ll never forget the relief that I felt as I walked into a SoBS support group for the first time in 2004. I’m humbled now to be able to encourage others to access SoBS support and to give others the chance to experience the same support I received.
I followed the path on many before me, first receiving support and then feeling compelled to give a little back to a Charity that played a fundamental part in where I am today. As a Help-line Volunteer and a Group Leader I gained valuable insight into our work. As a Trustee and Vice Chair I gained valuable insight into how our work is vital at both a local and national level, and as your Chair from 2010-2014 it was my great honour to work on the Board and to ensure our place in the national conversation.
I was delighted that the BBC brought our work to the fore in our documentary Life After Suicide. Watched by over 3 million people, the film featured the SoBS Liverpool support group, giving a real insight into how our groups work and the vital support they offer. I hope to continue to promote our work and I look forward to working with you.”
Angela Samata
Since losing our son Jonathan to suicide in May 2011, we have done quite a lot of fundraising. We have held boot sales, stalls at fetes, skydives and many, many raffles.
In 2005 we tragically lost Fee – beloved wife and mother, when she took her own life. The shock and loss was enormous and it wasn’t until 2009 when we discovered Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide. This charity has helped all three of us, in different ways, in coming to terms with such a painful loss. It is a loss that you never get over, but their involvement in our lives has helped us to move on but not forget.