Loss of son inspired mother to set up suicide prevention project

And Nicola, whose 24-year-old son Jacob took his own life in 2015, credits The National Lottery with providing crucial support for the project. Funding made possible by National Lottery players helped the Jacob Abraham Foundation deliver its 90-minute suicide prevention training package to thousands of people who wanted to know the right way to talk to a friend or relative they believed to be at risk.

When the pandemic began, The National Lottery stepped in again, helping the Jacob Abraham Foundation stay afloat. Nicola said, “We were struggling at the time as there were just two of us. We didn’t know if we’d make it through the month – it wasn’t sustainable.

“When we went into lockdown we lost our building. We thought we’d have to call it a day, but we were encouraged to apply for National Lottery People and Places funding. At the start of 2021 we found out we’d got it. It helped us secure a lovely building in Cardiff and hire more staff.”

The Jacob Abraham Foundation has gone from strength to strength. It now focusses on suicide prevention via counselling and training and helping people in South Wales left bereaved by the loss of a family member or friend.

Nicola was on holiday in Spain in October 2015 when she received the devastating news that her son had taken his own life. She said, “If I knew I was going to lose Jacob, suicide would have been the last thing on my list. I would have put every other scenario ahead of it.”

Jacob was a happy-go-lucky young man who was fit and had no history of mental illness. He had plenty of friends, a loving family, and a thriving business as a self-employed painter and decorator.

Nicola, who was awarded an MBE in 2024 for services to suicide prevention, said the lack of support from health and social services in the aftermath of her son’s death prompted her to set up the foundation. She said, “There was nothing. We weren’t given so much as a leaflet or a telephone number to call. A police officer came to take a statement for the inquest and that was it.”

The grief experienced by anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide is intense and complex. Nicola said, “They call it ‘grief with the volume turned up’. Not only are you experiencing grief, but you’re also exposed to the stigma surrounding suicide. And you have so many unanswered questions – you’re asking yourself ‘why’ a thousand times a day.

“The grieving process can be very complicated, so it’s just about learning to see people as individuals and giving them bespoke support. It’s been tough, but we’ve created this lovely community, and they all say that it’s been a lifeline.”

World Suicide Prevention Day is on Wednesday 10th September 2025.

1st September 2025