APP launches new bereavement peer support project

On 23rd June 2024, APP held our first training day for bereavement peer support volunteers.

We were joined by five new volunteers, all of whom have been bereaved by postpartum psychosis (PP) and who want to use their experiences to help provide support for other families.

During the day, which was held at the Barberry National Centre for Mental Health in Birmingham, we discussed the types of information and resources that would be useful for bereaved families. The ideas and feedback will be used to develop new pages for the APP website and peer support for bereaved families.

We are incredibly grateful to Rich, Sean, Iain, Don and FM for sharing their experiences. It was an inspiring and moving day, especially seeing peer support in action as trainee volunteers connected with, and learned from, each other:

I felt isolated. Other people were getting on with their lives. Being able to talk to other people who have been through what I have gives me a warm feeling.

As well as learning more about the importance peer support could make to families bereaved by PP: 

Feeling like you are usefully doing something for others helps you feel like you are remembering the person you have lost.

Our new volunteers will help us develop web content for bereaved family members in the coming months and develop a peer support group for families bereaved by PP. If you would like to get involved with this project, or hear more as it develops please contact us at app@app-network.org.

Pictured above: APP’s bereavement volunteers with APP Chief Executive Dr Jessica Heron, APP Peer Support trainer Clare Foster and National Peer Support Coordinators Jenny Stevenson and Ellie Ware.

APP’s bereavement peer support project is supported by fundraising in memory of Alex Baish and by the Department of Health and Social Care’s Suicide Prevention VCSE Grant Fund. A total of 79 charities across England have received funding for life-saving suicide prevention services.