Chester graduates establish web community to remember loved ones

Two graduates of the University of Chester have developed an online community for bereaved people.

Amy Montague, who is from Cheltenham, graduated with an English Language degree in 2017, and Gloria Anandappa, from Coventry, graduated the same year with a degree in International Development with History. Both were friends at Chester and have kept in touch ever since. At the beginning of lockdown, they decided that they wanted to make a long-held mutual dream become a reality – and https://liveoncommunity.com/ was born.

Gloria explains more: “We’ve been talking about this for some time. Both of us have experienced bereavement first hand, after losing a parent, and we both felt strongly that an online platform was needed where people could start a conversation about bereavement, and also find resources and support in one place.

“I experienced grief at a very young age – when I was just finishing primary school – and although I had bereavement counselling, it felt very clinical. Amy and I wanted to establish a network - a larger, inclusive community of others experiencing bereavement. We feel that it is important to not only start a conversation about loss but also to be heard. Regardless of whether people want to talk about their personal experiences or just listen to others’ journeys, we wanted to provide a safe zone during a very difficult and personal time.”

Amy is currently working as a Marketing Executive, and used her experience to build and establish the website.

She said: “Having lost my father just a year after I graduated, I relied heavily on my closest friends to support me. Gloria helped me through many stages of the grieving process. During those open conversations we had about grief, we started to conceptualise the Live On community.

“Live On is a not-for-profit organisation – and it’s not a replacement for health care. We’re not professionally trained to provide health advice, or to advise about mental and physical wellness – that’s not what Live On is about. It is an active, current and collaborative online community which provides a safe zone. Live On is there to encourage those people experiencing bereavement to tell their story and to build a reliable support system. We want to help everyone through their own bereavement journey – and to share this sense of understanding and support between people.”

Visit https://liveoncommunity.com/ to find out more, or to get involved.

Pictured - Gloria Anandappa and Amy Montague