Suicide support group in Stonehouse awarded three years of lottery funding

On February 1, Sunflowers Suicide Support group were handed the funding which is to be split throughout various different aspects of the charity each year.

This will help to ensure that the services provided can be sustained and continue to grow over the next three years.

Part of the money is to be used toward funding the salary of the new charity manager who will oversee all services and projects delivered by Sunflowers.

The manager will be Sunflowers' first employee who can dedicate time solely to the interest of the charity and reaching those who need it.

There is also a provision of money for training and development so that Sunflowers will be able to develop a more robust and efficient suicide bereavement service within Gloucestershire and a pool of trained volunteers.

Another section of the money is to be used towards overheads at the Sunflowers offices based at Bonds Mill.

It is here that Sunflowers deliver their Grief Recovery Courses and Family Support for children and young people as well as meeting with individuals who have been bereaved by suicide.

This funding ensures that the Charity have a secure base for the foreseeable future.

Abbie Warren, charity founder, said: “This is a hugely exciting time for Sunflowers.

"This is the first external funding we have secured, and for a small charity like Sunflowers it is crucial.

"We feel incredibly proud that the National Lottery have recognised the good work we are doing and chosen to support us.

"It makes me feel that some good has come out of the devastating loss of my brother Pete."

The company was set-up in memory of Abbie's brother, Pete Morris, who took his own life in September 2016 aged 29-years-old.

Jennie Watkins, charity chair, said: “We are incredibly thankful and overjoyed that we have secured this funding which will help the charity to grow and support more people in the County who’ve been affected by suicide."