New Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) group in County Durham, Darlington, and Teesside

Sergeant Gilchrist shared her own experience of losing her father to suicide, and to help her come to terms with what had happened, she found a SOBS support group, which was run by a group of volunteers who had also suffered bereavement by suicide.

She has said “The group really helped me to understand how long and difficult the healing process is. It also really helped talking to people who had been through similar experiences and provided support."

This group was located some distance away, so to help others who are going through similar experiences, Sergeant Gilchrist has launched a local SOBS group for residents in Durham, Darlington, and Teesside, together with two other volunteers.

She said: “When my dad died, I struggled to find a group like this nearby, where I could talk with people going through the same grief."
"When I eventually felt the time was right for me, I decided I wanted to give something back to others going through the same thing.”

The new group for survivors of bereavement by suicide meets on the last Thursday of the month in Norton.

Anyone who would like to attend, or get further details, can email teesside@uksobs.org or phone 07399593910.