It was in late 2022, in response to a request to Dan Carden MP (who is also a loyal and avid supporter of our charity and the work we do) that he extended an invitation to Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, MP (Shadow Cabinet Minister for Mental Health) to visit our Paul’s Place Suicide Bereavement Support team. Thankfully, Rosena accepted the invitation without any hesitation.
After hearing from people who share a lived experience of losing loved ones to suicide, she was visibly moved and vowed to support us in any way she possibly could. During her visit to us, she commented that “one of the things about suicide bereavement is it is very unique, in how it affects people. It would be fantastic if such services (as Paul’s Place) could be replicated around the country; because we know suicide is all too common.”
The very nature of her work as an A&E doctor in a busy London hospital, means that she frequently dealt with not only people who are suicidal, but also those who have lost someone to suicide. She witnessed first-hand, the devastation that suicide brings and how there is no specialist support available for these very vulnerable people. With this in mind, before she left, we asked if she would consider being a Patron for Paul’s Place BCT and were absolutely delighted when she agreed.
Please take a couple of minutes to watch her video: