Homicide charity helps grieving Londoners see ‘light at the end of the tunnel’
A charity run by and for people who’ve lost loved ones to homicide will be able to help hundreds more Londoners thanks to new funding.
- Published: 6 December 2023
Support After Murder and Manslaughter (SAMM) is expanding its service thanks to a £100,000 grant from City Bridge Foundation – London’s biggest independent charity funder.
It will use the funding to train dozens of volunteers to support people to rebuild their lives, and run in-person group sessions in the capital.
City Bridge Foundation Chairman Giles Shilson said:
“The staff and volunteers who run SAMM have endured one of the most devastating things anyone can experience, which means they’re better placed than anyone to support those who’ve gone through the same thing.
“The way they turn such a painful and traumatic experience into a positive force to support others is truly inspiring and we’re delighted to be able to help them to help many more Londoners.”
SAMM was founded 35 years ago and is the only UK charity run by staff and volunteers who have experienced the trauma of losing a family member to murder or manslaughter.
That includes chief executive officer Jo Early, whose baby son, Charlie, died as the result of injuries inflicted by his own father in 2008.
SAMM CEO Jo Early said: “Losing a family member through homicide is a very isolating experience. Your brain is so traumatised, you can’t think straight and the thing people say to us most often after receiving trauma support and education is ‘Thank God – I thought I was going mad’.
“We give people the tools to help themselves and the resilience to lift themselves out of victimhood and to see that there’s light at the end of the tunnel, even though it might be a very long road.
“People might come to SAMM within 48 hours of losing their loved-one, or after 10 years. They can come to us as often or as little as they need, until they reach the point where they don’t need our support anymore. It’s like a family.”
“People might come to SAMM within 48 hours of losing their loved-one, or after 10 years. They can come to us as often or as little as they need, until they reach the point where they don’t need our support anymore. It’s like a family.”
People can get support from SAMM by calling 0121 472 2912, texting 07342 888570 or via the website at www.samm.org.uk
Joanna, 56 from Twickenham, came across SAMM many years after the murder of her mother when she was a child. After receiving help from SAMM, she now works as a volunteer with the charity.
She said: “I had therapy as an adult but there seemed to be something missing – a shared experience, being able to talk openly with people who had suffered the same trauma and loss of a loved one in that manner.
“With SAMM, I had initial calls with kind, understanding individuals who themselves had been bereaved. It was clear my story wouldn’t shock them and I could be completely authentic. They recognised my pain, my long-term attempt to make sense of it and why I still struggle years later.
“I was invited to a weekend retreat which was life changing. To be among people who spoke so openly and honestly about their loss was a massive relief.
“When we lose someone to murder or manslaughter this is not a normal grief process – it’s protracted with a lifetime of specific trauma attached, unlike any other. To be around people and be open about our experiences, and to have quiet time to reflect about our loved ones was deeply moving and helped enormously.”