Leeds Suicide Bereavement Service’s virtual art show cherishes lost loved ones

Leeds Suicide Bereavement Service (LSBS) and its sister organisation in West Yorkshire and Harrogate teamed up with Inkwell Arts to create a heartfelt collection of art, poetry and collages for the September 10 awareness day.

The idea for the online show, which will run until September 22, evolved out of an art workshop that LSBS staged during lockdown.

LSBS interim service lead Surinder Rall said art has helped break down barriers with grieving people who they had not been able to meet because of coronavirus restrictions.

She added: “Our one-to-one support is usually always done in person. So we are essentially supporting people that we have never met. That in a way can be a little bit of a barrier. We are expecting people to talk and share some of the most traumatic moments of their life, but you’ve never met them.

“So art became a big way to engage with people. So rather than asking those direct questions about their experience it was more, ‘what does it look like, what colour is it, how does it feel, what shape is it?

“We had people saying, ‘I’m not artistic, I can’t draw, I don’t know if I can take part’ - that sort of thing. But actually what came out of those workshops was beautiful. That’s where the idea for the virtual exhibition came from.”

Now anyone with a computer or tablet can take a virtual tour of the gallery via: www.artsteps.com/view/5eba70dc9df06a42985a9e63.

Surinder added: “The idea was based around memories and a lot of it is around remembering the person who was lost or how they felt when they lost that person. It’s quite an inspiring place to be in, to listen to people’s words or to see what they have created.”

LSBS has used technology more than ever during lockdown so it can still reach out to grieving people. And interest in their group sessions has gone up since they moved them onto video conferencing app Zoom. Traditionally its has struggled to recruit people to its groups but Surinder believes people are in their “safe space” at home and can get involved more. She added: “When we go back to normal we will do a mix of online and physical groups.”

She said the key part of LSBS was that it was peer led support. All of its staff have experienced bereavement by suicide. Surinder lost her dad, Bally, 12 years ago. She became involved in LSBS as a group member and has risen through the ranks from volunteer to interim service lead for LSBS and the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Suicide Bereavement Service.

She also feels something positive has come out of her sad loss.

Surinder added: “At first it affected everything from my memory to wanting to socialise. It kicked up my anxiety and it made me worried about losing other people. When I had my little girl and got married, although they were very happy occasions, they just felt so bitter sweet because it reminded me he wasn’t there.

“Since getting involved with the Leeds Suicide Bereavement Service, more on a professional level, what it has done is it’s really changed the meaning of my grief. So instead of it being this really awful and traumatic event, which it was and will always be, it is also something I’m able to use to support other people and other families that are going through similar things. So it has really changed.

“It feels more positive that out of that dark thing came something so beautiful.”

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Leeds Suicide Bereavement Service was launched on World Suicide Prevention Day in September 2015.

It is a partnership between Leeds Mind and Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service. It is funded by Leeds City Council.

The group was set up following research into the impact of bereavement by suicide.

Surinder Rall, its interim service lead, said: “What they found is that bereavement by suicide has one of the most negative health outcomes. That could be things like debt, job loss, loss of house, relationship breakdowns and in some cases further suicides.”

She added: “The aim of the service is to provide timely, proactive support. So we want to be there as soon as we possible can. In other bereavements people might want to wait but in suicide bereavement we want to be there as soon as people are ready to access us.”

The peer support group is a postvention service, which means it offers support for people bereaved by suicide. This could be one-to one or group work or through lots of other activities like workshops.

Before Covid-19 it ran meetings at the Civic Hall and at other locations. But during lockdown it has been offering support remotely by phone or zoom.

To find out more go to www.leedssbs.org.uk. Alternatively they can ring Leeds Mind reception on 0113 305 5800 or email [email protected].

People can make donations to it via: www.justgiving.com/leedsmind/donate.