Suicide Bereavement service receives royal recognition

A suicide bereavement service in Liverpool's been given the royal seal of approval.

Paul's Place in Clubmoor provides counselling and support for people whose loved ones have taken their own lives.

They've just been handed the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service - the highest award of its kind in the UK.

It was set up by Joe and Agnes Williams, alongside Kathy Devlin at the Beacon Counselling Trust after a chance conversation revealed they'd both lost a loved one called Paul to suicide.

The service provides free one-to-one and group sessions to people who have lost a loved one to suicide, and it operates across the Merseyside region.

Royal seal of approval for bereavement service

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities.

It was created in 2002 to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Recipients are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation.

They include volunteer groups from across the UK, including a support group for those living with dementia and their carers in North Yorkshire; a volunteer minibus service in Cumbria; a group supporting young people in Belfast; a community radio station in Inverness and a mountain rescue team in Powys.

Paul's Place co-founder Agnes Williams, who lost her son to suicide, told us: "It's recognition to all the volunteers, many of whom, similar to us co-founders all share a lived experience of loss to suicide.

"So I'm absolutely delighted to be sharing this news with everyone today"

"A fitting tribute"

Kathy Devlin, Clinical Manager at Beacon Counselling Trust and Co-founder of Paul’s Place told us: “A large number of our volunteers share a lived experience of bereavement by suicide.

"Seeing so many of them wanting to give something back for the support they have received, is truly heart-warming. I am delighted that they have received this prestigious honour in recognition of the excellent work that they do, with such a sensitive programme as Paul’s Place.

"This really is a fitting tribute to the dedication and hard work of our volunteers and is so well deserved.“

Agnes' partner, and fellow co-founder Joe hopes the Award will continue to raise the profile of the service and secure future funding: "We're hoping that some companies or individuals, if they wish to donate or come onboard, then the likes of the Queen's Award will give us more credibility to them to help us out - because we do need funding for the future."

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Find out more about the work of Paul's Place here

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