Investing In Lived Experience

Working with people with lived experience is a core component of our work, examples are noted below.

• Share lived experience Lived experience is key to all aspects of our work at Suicide Bereavement UK (SBUK). In fact, Suicide Bereavement UK evolved as a direct result of Dr Sharon McDonnell losing her brother to suicide. We lead by example. Members of our team are prepared to share their lived experience in order to help others, advance understanding and to help reduce stigma. Dr McDonnell refers to her loss in her blog and Angela Samata, SBUK’s Lived Experience Advisor, is a BAFTA nominee for her BBC documentary ‘Life After Suicide’.
• Advisory boards Several members of our team combine their lived experience and expertise working in this field to help develop key documents that help others, including those bereaved by suicide and those response responsible for their care. Examples include Help is at Hand: Resource for People Bereaved by Suicide Guide to developing suicide bereavement services.
• Volunteer at self help groups Several members of the team have volunteered at suicide bereavement self-help groups. For example Angela Samata was the Chair of the Survivors of Bereaved by Suicide (SOBS) self-help group; Dr McDonnell has volunteered at Greater Manchester SOBS group since 2012.
• Public engagement with those bereaved by suicide For example, Dr McDonnell and Shirley Smith from If U Care Share Foundation presented research findings to those who took part in the PABBS suicide bereavement study. Dr. McDonnell has also presented over 50 presentations to the general public