Last week I was back in London for the first time since Covid lockdowns and baby Jay (who is now two and no longer really a baby). I was there to celebrate Luna Foundation’s first birthday at RSA House.
The Luna Foundation
Luna was established on 17 March 2022 by Anna Wardley. Anna’s father, Ralph, took his own life when she was nine. The lack of effective help at the time and the consequent impact on her life led her to research existing and best practice in this area. She launched Luna to implement her findings and recommendations.
Luna’s Lived Experience Network
I have been working to support Luna with content and communications – developing leaflets and information, updating training slides, producing their Suicide Bereavement Resource Guide and developing their Suicide Bereavement Policy templates. I have also been working with their Lived Experience Network (LLEN), helping to facilitate the group in its initial stages. It was in this capacity that I was working at the event. In the morning presentation, we ran a panel discussion where we heard powerful testimony from three network members about their experiences of losing a parent to suicide and how the lack of support and active discrimination affected them then and now.
After lunch, I facilitated a workshop for all LLEN members. We workshopped the role, values, and ways of working for the group going forwards. We also did some activities to help everyone understand and offer thoughts on Luna’s goals and strategy for 2023/4.
It was a really productive and valuable day, both a celebration of what Luna has achieved so far and a recognition of the support still desperately needed for children bereaved by parental suicide. It was a privilege to be there and I’m excited to see what Luna can achieve in 2023.
