“It’s a fantastic honour to be able to support SOBS in the role of Ambassador having seen first hand the considerable work and comfort that the charity has provided for those close to me.
My professional life has been focused around Bereavement Services for over 25 years. It is an area I wholeheartedly believe provides valuable support and reassurance to people at the most sensitive of periods in their lives. My main focus is on helping members of my organisation, the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) with developing training, best practice and reasoned frameworks to manage their services for bereaved people wherever possible and can be found in the classroom or onsite most days at regional and national levels.
Hand in hand with this, I also hold roles such as a mentor and Training Assessor, and an HNC level tutor for those who are taking part in their diploma in my field of work. This is another area where I am able to assist professionals with practical and realistic guidance and initiatives to take forward.
It is with this experience that I am excited to bring a different perspective to the organisation and feel that my drive and commitment can be put to good use in several areas to support the trustees and those that access the service to identify areas of potential improvement and offer organisational support and guidance wherever able.
In my spare time, I’m a keen runner, practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, rock climb, and play the guitar having had a brief spell as a professional singer. Over the years, I have fundraised for many charities, supporting innovative fundraising wherever possible. One such event included walking 131 miles in 5 days, raising over £17,000 for SOBS in 2019.”
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.