Every Life Matters launches suicide bereavement service for children

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 12:33 · Archive

Charity Every Life Matters has launched a support service for children and young people affected by suicide in Cumberland.

Every Life Matters, a Cumbrian charity, has launched a specialist support service for children and young people bereaved or impacted by suicide. The launch follows new data from the Office for National Statistics showing a 10 per cent increase in suicide in Cumberland.

The charity has appointed Mark Harkness as its Children and Young People's Suicide Bereavement Support Practitioner. Mr Harkness will support individuals aged four to 21 in Cumberland who have been impacted by suicide. He is a qualified person-centred counsellor with extensive experience in bereavement work and trauma-informed therapy.

Mr Harkness will provide one-to-one emotional and practical support in settings that best suit the young person, including at home, in school, or online. Depending on individual needs, support may involve talking, practical activities, or play and art-based approaches. He will also work closely with parents, carers and professionals to help them understand how suicide bereavement affects children.

Chris Wood, charity manager and co-founder of Every Life Matters, said that suicide bereavement is particularly difficult for young people who may not have the words to explain what they are feeling, and that support needs to be flexible and individually tailored.

How it is being reported

• Every Life Matters launches service for children bereaved or impacted by suicideEvery Life Matters has launched a new support service for children and young people bereaved or impacted by suicide in Cumberland.Whitehaven News · 22 Oct, 12:00
• Every Life Matters launches service for children bereaved or impacted by suicideEvery Life Matters has launched a new support service for children and young people bereaved or impacted by suicide in Cumberland.Cumberland News · 22 Oct, 12:00

In this story: Every Life Matters · Mark Harkness · Chris Wood · Cumberland · Office for National Statistics

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