LOTTIE Tomlinson has announced her new role as an ambassador for the national healthcare charity, Sue Ryder. 

At her first official appearance, Lottie unveiled a new mural, commissioned by Sue Ryder, which encourages people not to grieve alone.

The mural, located in Aldgate East on 130 Commercial Road, shows two hands reaching towards each other surrounded by hydrangeas. The flowers, known to survive most climates and weathers are representative of what can often be a difficult journey through grief.

The latest ONS figures show that the total UK death toll from Coronavirus has surpassed 63,000, which means that there are an estimated additional 315,000 people currently grieving. As a result, Sue Ryder has seen a significant spike in the need for its bereavement support, including the charity’s free video counselling service.

Lottie’s mother, Johannah Deakin, died in 2016 and her sister, Félicité Tomlinson, in 2019. In her new role as ambassador for Sue Ryder, Lottie aims to encourage more people to speak openly about grief and to raise the profile of the free video counselling service provided by the charity.

Lottie Tomlinson, Social Media Influencer, said:

“I want to try and help people because grief can be such a scary thing.

“You need to keep talking about it otherwise you get lost in your feelings and that can send you into a really dark place. I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for people grieving during the lockdown and that’s why I really want to spread the word about Sue Ryder’s free video counselling. It is so important to keep people talking about their grief so they don’t spiral.

“I also want to help to guide people when it comes to supporting someone that is grieving because I think so many people don’t know what to say or how to act. One of the hardest things for me was people not bringing it up, it makes it even harder because you’ve lost that person and it feels like they’re fading away.”

Heidi Travis, Chief Executive at Sue Ryder, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Lottie to Sue Ryder. Lottie’s courage in opening up about her experience and journey through grief will most definitely encourage others to open up too.

“It’s incredibly important for those experiencing grief to be able to talk about how they are feeling, whether that’s with a family member, friend or with one of Sue Ryder’s counsellors.”

Sue Ryder provides a range of online bereavement support, including free video counselling delivered through trained bereavement counsellors; an online community forum offering 24-hour peer to peer support and a wide range of advice and resources for people who are grieving or supporting someone through bereavement.

 To find out more and make a donation, please visit: sueryder.org/support.