“When my son died by suicide, we were left in limbo, now we offer a lifeline for those who’ve gone through the same”
Nicola Abraham MBE set up the Jacob Abraham Foundation to support young people and families bereaved by suicide after her son, Jacob, took his own life at the age of 24 in 2015.
Nearly a decade ago, Nicola Abraham and her family received life changing news. Her son, Jacob Abraham, had taken his own life at the age of only 24 years old.
“We lost Jacob to suicide in October 2015, and it was a huge shock to everybody that knew him. He didn’t present with any kind of mental health problems, and he was a happy go lucky and laid-back person,” Nicola Abraham, Founder of the Jacob Abraham Foundation said.
“He was a very liked and popular boy, and when he died the community was so shocked. He was the last person they ever thought would take their own life.”
Disappointed with the lack of support that the family received after the death of her son, Nicola took matters into her own hands. Creating the Jacob Abraham Foundation in honour of her late son, the foundation supports families in Wales and beyond who’ve been bereaved by suicide, and young people who are suffering with their mental health.
“For us, when Jake died, we were offered nothing. We weren’t given leaflets or anything, we were just left in limbo, and I thought that should never be,” Nicola added.
“There should be immediate support offered and signposts offered to people who are experiencing this. So, I was keen to make changes there.
“The grieving process can be very complicated, so it’s just about learning to see people as individuals and giving them that bespoke support. It’s been tough, but we’ve created this lovely community, and they all say that it’s been a lifeline.”
Today, the Jacob Abraham Foundation is one of 299 projects in Wales to receive a share of over £9.7 million in funding thanks to National Lottery players. The grants will help groups carry out their vital and varied work in supporting their communities.
The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, awards grants to strengthen society and improve lives across the UK. Thanks to National Lottery players, it will distribute at least £4 billion by 2030, supporting activities that create resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable.
£376,827 of The National Lottery Community Fund grant awarded to the foundation will be used to support the organisation’s Suicide Support For All project. The money, over three years, will cover staff salaries, such as a bereavement practitioner, lead therapist and therapeutic practitioner.
The Jacob Abraham Foundation’s award falls under one of The National Lottery Community Fund’s four key missions, which are to support communities to come together, be environmentally sustainable, help children and young people thrive and enable people to live healthier lives.
John Rose, Wales Director of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Nicola and the rest of the team at the Jacob Abraham Foundation are incredible people dedicated to supporting the mental-health and well-being of their communities. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are able to support projects like this who are able to support the health and wellbeing of young people in Wales.”
The Jacob Abraham Foundation has recently received funding from our People & Places funding programme. To find out more about this funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, please visit our website: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk