Creating UK's first peer support group for children bereaved by suicide 'really fulfilling'
It's been created by a Merseyside teenager who was eight years when his dad took his own life
A Merseyside teenager, who was eight years old when his dad took his own life, has launched the UK's first ever online support group for children who've been through similar heartbreak.
'Alfie's Squad Online' will start next week and allow 9-17 year-olds to take part in activities together - like quiz nights, craft sessions and pizza parties.
An in-person group started last year and now supports 26 children.
The idea for Alfie's Squad came about in 2017 after Alfie lost his dad. Alfie and his mum, Allison, found that dedicated support for children bereaved by suicide was not available anywhere in the UK.
After raising more than ÂŁ30,000, the pilot programme launched in the autumn of 2023, with the second cohort - supported by the LFC Foundation, starting in the spring of 2024.
A fundraising campaign was then launched to create an online version of the group, so more children could benefit.
Alfie and other members of the group took on a shark drive in an open oceanarium at The Bear Grylls Adventure in Birmingham, which raised more than ÂŁ10,000.
Alfie, who is now 15, said:
"Just after I lost my dad, I saw a homeless man outside my local shop. I realised that although I was having a tough time, there were people less fortunate than me. I used my pocket money to buy the man some food and I decided then that I wanted to do something to help others.
"The idea for Alfie’s Squad came when my mum tried to find me the peer support that I wanted. We couldn’t find a single group for children bereaved by suicide anywhere in the UK. I decided to step up and sort it out myself. I figured there must be other children like me, who want to speak to others in the same situation.
"The first group has been life-changing"
"The first group has been life-changing. We started with seven children, and we are now at capacity with 26 children in just six months. This is why we have launched our second group. As word has spread about Alfie’s Squad, my mum gets emails nearly every day from families across the country asking when we can open up in other areas. We realised that there were children around the UK who need what Alfie’s Squad offers, which is why we decided to launch the online group.
"If there’s an opportunity to help more people like me, to give them somewhere to come and meet other people who understand what they are going through, then we will do it!"
The online and in-person programmes both run over eight weeks and include activities like sports, quiz nights, podcasting sessions, graffiti art classes, drumming classes, circus workshops and craft projects - all led by the children themselves.
Applications for the online group are now open, with sessions due to start on 21 May 2024.