Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide

What Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide does

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SoBS) is a UK-registered charitable company limited by guarantee operating UK-wide peer-led support for adults bereaved by suicide. The organization is registered in England and Wales (Charity No. 1098815), Scotland (Scottish Charity No. SCO41397), and as a company limited by guarantee (Company No. 4754829), with its registered office in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. Its core services comprise local and virtual peer support groups (searchable by postcode), a volunteer-staffed phone supportline (0300 111 5065), email support ([email protected]), and an online application-gated forum restricted to users aged 18 and over. All group facilitators and helpline volunteers are themselves personally bereaved by suicide, positioning lived experience as the operational core of the support offering rather than clinical intervention.

The product surface extends beyond support into an established resource library spanning booklets (e.g., 'Help is at Hand', 'After a Suicide', 'Living through Loss'), films (including 'Jeremy, my Father' and Rethink/Papyrus myth-busting videos), books, poetry and prose, inquest-support guides, and the recently launched Prescription Safe Plan (PSP). A small online shop offers merchandise. The technology stack is light: a website, online forum, email system, and phone line—no APIs, integrations, proprietary models, or AI tooling are disclosed. Distribution relies on organic community channels, newsletter, website content, and cross-distribution partnerships with organizations such as Rethink Mental Illness, Papyrus, the Department of Health, SAMH, First Hand, Brother Film, and Grief Guides, alongside affiliation with sector bodies including the National Suicide Prevention Alliance, Zero Suicide Alliance, Suicide Partnership, and the Fundraising Regulator.

Commercially, SoBS is a donation-and-fundraising-funded charity. All core support services—phone, email, forum, and groups—are provided free of charge to end users; merchandise and partner affiliate products are the only transactional surface. There is no disclosed revenue, headcount, or management team. The organization is governed by bereaved volunteers with no parent company, no venture or institutional investor ownership, and no M&A history. National Lottery Community Fund funding supports operations.

Name

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide

Legal name

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide

Website

https://uksobs.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide is a UK-registered charity providing free, peer-led support—local and virtual groups, a helpline, email, and an online forum—to adults bereaved by suicide, funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bereavement Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK), End-of-Life Emotional & Spiritual Support (Chaplaincy/Counseling) In-Home (HSABAFAH), Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI)

Keywords

• Suicide bereavement support
• Peer support groups
• Grief helpline services
• Mental health charity
• Bereavement peer support

Headquarters

HQ city

Ilkeston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a registered charity (Charity No. 1098815 in England and Wales, Scottish Charity No. SCO41397), SoBS generates revenue through donations, fundraising activities, and charitable giving. The organization offers various fundraising pathways including running for charity and other donation mechanisms visible on their website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide is a UK-wide peer-led charity providing free support services to adults (18+) bereaved by suicide. Core offerings include local and virtual peer support groups, a dedicated phone supportline (0300 111 5065), email support, and an online peer-to-peer forum, all facilitated by trained volunteers who have themselves been bereaved by suicide.

Product overview

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide operates as a peer-led support charity offering multiple interconnected service channels: local and virtual support groups (the primary offering), phone support via a dedicated helpline, email support, and an online forum. The organization also provides a comprehensive resource library including the Prescription Safe Plan, educational booklets, films, books, poetry and prose, and inquest support materials. An online shop offers related merchandise. All services are designed to provide safe, confidential environments where those bereaved by suicide can share experiences and support each other through grief.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Local & Virtual Support Groups

Quantifiable outcome

• Provides support to adults bereaved by suicide across the UK through local and virtual groups, phone, email, and online forum

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grief GuidescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurvivors of Bereavement by Suicide partnered with Grief Guides to provide additional resources and support materials for individuals bereaved by suicide. The partnership involves affiliate products and collaborative support resources.
• Rethink Mental IllnesscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerReceived funding from Rethink to produce suicide myth busting videos in collaboration with Papyrus and Brother Film. The videos aim to raise awareness around stigma of suicide and suicide bereavement, and help answer myths related to suicide.
• PapyruscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeamed up with SoBS and received funding from Rethink to release suicide myth busting videos produced by Brother Film. The collaboration addresses stigma and myths related to suicide bereavement.
• Brother FilmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company that created the suicide myth busting video series for SoBS and Papyrus, funded by Rethink Mental Illness.
• Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced the 'After a Suicide' guide that SoBS distributes as a resource. This guide helps with practical issues after a suicide and suggests places to get help.
• Department of Health (England)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced the 'Help is at Hand' resource for people bereaved by suicide and other sudden, traumatic death in England and Wales, which SoBS distributes.
• First HandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing booklet to support witnesses of suicide (those who did not know the person who died). SoBS distributes their resources.
• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations)minorOthersLogo displayed indicating membership or affiliation with NCVO, the largest membership organization for charities and voluntary organizations in England.
• NSPA (National Suicide Prevention Alliance)coreOthersLogo displayed indicating membership in the National Suicide Prevention Alliance, a UK alliance working to reduce suicide and improve support for those affected by it.
• Zero Suicide AllianceminorOthersLogo displayed indicating affiliation/partnership with the Zero Suicide Alliance, an organization working to prevent suicide.
• Suicide PartnershipminorOthersLogo displayed indicating partnership with the Suicide Partnership, a collaborative body supporting those affected by suicide.
• Institute of FundraisingminorOthersLogo displayed indicating membership in the Institute of Fundraising, the professional membership body for fundraisers in the UK.
• Fundraising RegulatorminorOthersLogo displayed indicating compliance with the Fundraising Regulator, the independent regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mind: Largest UK mental health charity providing information, support, and local services including for people bereaved by suicide. A broad incumbent covering the wider mental health and bereavement space in which SoBS specializes.
• Hospice UK: National charity for hospice and end-of-life care in the UK, whose member hospices deliver bereavement support including for traumatic deaths. Provides context on the broader bereavement and end-of-life support infrastructure in which SoBS operates.
• Samaritans: UK-wide emotional support charity operating a 24/7 helpline for people in distress, including those bereaved by or affected by suicide. While broader in scope than SoBS, Samaritans is the closest UK incumbent providing suicide-related listening support at national scale.

Direct peers

• Winston's Wish: UK charity providing bereavement support specifically to children and young adults, including those bereaved by suicide. Directly comparable in delivering specialized bereavement support to a defined population.
• Papyrus (Prevention of Young Suicide): UK charity focused on suicide prevention and support for young people, with whom SoBS has partnered on myth-busting content. Comparable as a UK suicide-focused charity operating helpline and digital resources.
• Cruse Bereavement Support: UK's largest bereavement charity offering peer-led and volunteer-delivered support across all types of bereavement, including suicide loss. Directly comparable in its multi-channel (helpline, groups, online) peer-support model.
• Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): UK charity dedicated to preventing male suicide, operating a helpline and webchat. Comparable as a UK suicide-focused support charity with multi-channel peer/professional service delivery.
• Hope Again (Cruse youth service): Cruse's dedicated service for young people bereaved, including by suicide. Comparable as a UK peer-led bereavement support channel targeting a sub-segment affected by sudden loss.

Regional players

• Suicide&Co: US-based nonprofit providing peer-led support groups and resources for people bereaved by suicide. Closest international peer to SoBS by mission and model, but geographically focused on North America.

Others

• Rethink Mental Illness: UK mental health charity that has directly funded SoBS's suicide myth-busting video series. Functions as both a comparable peer and an active partner to SoBS in the UK suicide postvention ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide