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Page: Our Story

Providing Peer Support for those with poor Mental Health and those Bereaved by Suicide

Our Story

Zac was 29 years old and working as a Social Work Assistant when he took his own life whilst recovering from a period of mental ill health in Worcester. He had been affected by poor mental health for many years and struggled to cope with his illness. Zac was loved by many but, unfortunately, he wasn’t always able to love himself or give himself credit for his many achievements.

Behind the Smile is a charity founded by the parents of Zac. We believe that everyone has the right to a good standard of mental health and, where they do not, they should have access to timely and appropriate support services.

You can read Zac's Story here
Zac dressed in graduation robes, throwing mortar into the air.
Close shot of person with hand on the hand of another person.

Our two main aims are:

> to support and help others overcome the stigma associated with mental health issues by offering practical face to face support

> to support and help those bereaved by suicide.

Our Purpose

Our purpose is to provide equal, impartial peer support and complementary therapy for all those affected by mental health issues. This may include conventional, complementary, alternative and holistic methods which are concerned with healing mind, body and spirit, thus alleviating symptoms and improving health. We want people to become stronger and more confident in controlling their own lives.

We believe that each of us has the right to timely and appropriate mental health support services to meet our particular needs. When a person is bereaved by suicide we want to be there to support them in their grief and offer practical, knowledgeable support to help them navigate through the formal and day-to-day activities that need to be addressed.

Close shot of fingers releasing a butterfly in flight.
Overhead shot of group of people holding their hands.

Our Values

Delivering a better life for people affected by mental ill-health is at the heart of everything we do.

Many people suffer from poor self-esteem, loneliness, isolation and have no self-worth or sense of purpose.  Many of these issues have been exacerbated throughout the pandemic lockdown. 

We feel people deserve to have somewhere they can go to and feel safe, where they can receive respect and support, and experience meaningful change through our services, and where they can learn to live independently and know they do not have to face mental illness alone.

Do you have the time and passion to help our cause?

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