Suicide bereavement service launching in Dundalk in September

HUGG, a national suicide bereavement charity, whose vision is that anyone bereaved by suicide can find hope and healing, is launching a new support group in Dundalk in September.

HUGG provides information and support principally through the  provision of local and online peer support groups, led by trained volunteers with lived experience of  suicide bereavement. 

For every person who dies by suicide, up to 135 people are affected. For many people, a level of  support outside of family and friends is needed. With an average of 500 suicides annually in Ireland, that equates to 60,000 people affected by suicide every year. 

HUGG's new support group in Dundalk will be led by three local trained volunteers, who each have a lived experience of suicide bereavement. The group will be  hybrid, meaning people can attend in-person or online. 

The support group will initially take place monthly, with the first meeting on Tuesday 19 September from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. It will be a hybrid meeting, allowing people to meet in-person or online.

Commenting on the launch of HUGG Louth, Marie McKeon, HUGG Groups Manager, said: “After  speaking at a “Mental Health & Resilience Building Community Information Event” last January in Louth, we recognised that there was a real need for a suicide bereavement support group in the  region.

"We are delighted that Louth will have its own HUGG group, based in Dundalk. We hope that  the group will greatly benefit the local community and the surrounding areas including those living in Ardee, Drogheda, Carlingford, Blackrock and parts of Meath including Duleek, Slane, and Donore”. 

Drogheda based volunteer Sarahmarie Kerr, reflecting on why she signed up to be a HUGG Volunteer Group Facilitator, stated: “I lost my brother Dylan to suicide in 2011. I wanted to get involved with HUGG as I was drawn to the vision and work of the charity - their commitment to support those  bereaved by suicide.

"Death by suicide hits different. Knowing you are in a safe, confidential space with  others with a shared bond & lived experience is incredibly comforting and invaluable. Being able to talk  openly with others who understood my grief was such a relief! There is a great sense of companionship  in the support group, it helps to know you are not alone in your grief”. 

Fiona Tuomey, HUGG’s founder and CEO added “Those left behind often carry unanswered questions,  stigma, self-isolation and blame, in addition to the trauma of losing their loved ones. Being among others who understand this grief can be lifesaving”. 

To join a HUGG group simply complete the form on www.hugg.ie, or email: support@hugg.ie or call 01 513 4048 (monitored answering machine).