In October 2024, our founder, 15yr old Alfie Fitzsimmons, was honoured with the British Citizen Youth Award at the Palace of Westminster. This prestigious recognition celebrates young individuals making extraordinary contributions to their communities.

Alfie received his award due to the work he does to support children, young people, and their families, who have been bereaved by suicide in and around Liverpool.

Alfie founded Alfie’s Squad after losing his father to suicide at the age of eight. Recognising a lack of support for children in similar situations, he took action to create a community where bereaved young people can find understanding and hope. His main aims were to reduce social isolation, and improve self-worth in children and young people in the same situation as him.

Proud of his award, Alfie comments,

“Receiving this award is a huge honour. It’s not just for me, but for every child who’s felt alone in their grief.”

CEO and proud mum, Allison Furlong, adds:

“Alfie’s compassion and determination continues to inspire me each day. He even jokes about adding ‘BCyA’ to his school register!”

Alfie’s Squad now provides peer support to over 40 children and young people, and as the only group of its kind in the UK, families are welcomed from across the North West to face to face sessions, as well as an online group for those further afield.

The aim is help reach even more families with this much needed support, creating Alfie’s Squad Hubs in other locations. If you’d like to help the charity make this happen, don’t hesitate to get in touch via info@alfiessquad.org