Lisa Riley and Richard Arnold announced as new Sue Ryder Ambassadors

Sue Ryder welcomes Lisa and Richard on board after they both lent their time and support to our Grief Kind campaign – a national movement of kindness that aims to help more people provide ongoing support for friends and family.

Heidi Travis, Chief Executive at Sue Ryder, said: 

“We are thrilled to welcome Lisa and Richard to Sue Ryder. We very much hope that by them talking honestly about their experiences of grief, others will be encouraged to open up. They have both also provided some really useful guidance for people who want to know how best to support those close to them who are grieving.”

In their roles as Ambassadors, Lisa and Richard will help to raise the profile of Sue Ryder and its services, lend their support to boost the charity's various awareness campaigns and share their experiences of bereavement to enable people to have more open conversations about grief. 

Lisa hopes to inspire more people to speak honestly about grief and would like to raise awareness of the free bereavement services provided by Sue Ryder. Lisa has opened up about her first-hand experiences with grief following the loss of her mum, Cath, and understands how difficult it can be – not only for those grieving, but for the people supporting loved ones through a bereavement.

Lisa Riley, BAFTA-winning actress, says: “I am so grateful to have the opportunity to support Sue Ryder as an Ambassador. I was recently a guest on the Sue Ryder Grief Kind podcast and I felt it was important to share my story as grief is something that still deeply affects me to this day, which I am sure many people can relate to. 

“I lost my mum nine years ago, and I still sometimes question whether I am supposed to be ‘over it’. The truth is that it doesn’t go away, but is something you learn to live with, and the support of people around you can be vital in helping you cope.

“So many people experience bereavement, yet it’s something many don’t feel able to talk openly about. 

“It can also be difficult to know how to support friends and family through bereavement, so I hope that in my new role I can help people feel able to speak freely about grief. I look forward to supporting Sue Ryder in the years to come.”

Richard will continue supporting Sue Ryder, with the aim of opening up the conversation about grief and pointing those in need in the direction of Sue Ryder’s services for support. He was one of the well-known faces behind the charity’s Grief Kind photoshoot and video campaign, which helps people better understand how valuable their support could be for loved ones experiencing bereavement.

Richard Arnold, TV presenter and journalist, says: “I am honoured to be an Ambassador for this wonderful charity. It’s a cause very close to my heart, as everyone will be affected by grief at some point in their lifetime.

“After the death of someone close to you, it can seem like people feel awkward or uncomfortable when it comes to speaking about that person in your presence. This is perhaps because friends or family worry that it might upset you or serve as a painful reminder of their death, but in my experience, it is so important for those around you to continue to say their name.

“I hope that the conversation around death and bereavement becomes less of a taboo subject, as sharing experiences and feelings can really help someone trying to cope with grief.”

Sue Ryder provides a range of online bereavement support, including free online video counselling delivered through trained bereavement counsellors, an online bereavement community forum offering 24/7 peer-to-peer support and a wide range of advice and resources for people who are grieving or supporting someone through bereavement.