BEAUTIFUL INSIDE & OUT
Jenna’s Legacy
Pauline Moriarty
Beautiful Inside & Out SCIO was born out of the devastating loss by suicide of my beautiful, altruistic, compassionate, hilarious, intelligent and adored 13-year-old daughter, Jenna Moriarty.
I had told Jenna that she was beautiful inside and out when she had told me about awful things that had been happening to her. We tried to improve things for her at school, but 48 hours later, on 11th June 2013, Jenna smiled her beautiful smile and waved as she walked home from school, before ending her precious life.
Jenna was not just another suicide statistic. She was my whole world, along with her five-year-old little sister, Sophie. I often think of the poor consultant whose eyes I gazed into, pleading with him, “You don’t understand – you have to save my little girl,” words that may remain with him forever. I wish to thank him for trying.
I decided that I could either lay down and die or I could do something about the gaps in the system, in terms of supporting troubled and bereaved people, so I founded Beautiful Inside & Out SCIO, a Scottish registered charity. Our aims include the saving of lives. We support people of all ages and families of loved ones lost by suicide. We organise and fund counselling, play therapy, sound and music therapy, art/drama therapy and equine therapy for individuals. We also hold group sessions, and we promote kindness which has the power to save a life.
All our services are funded by Beautiful Inside & Out SCIO so that there is no barrier to anyone receiving support. The charity has been running for over ten years and we have never turned anyone away. We spend on average £370,000 per year on our services. Referrals are sent to us by schools, universities, social work, GP surgeries, employers, worried families, and individuals themselves. We have a charity Facebook page to enable people to engage with us.
We have six craft fayres annually, in Troon Concert Hall, with entertainment from Ayrshire Ukulele Clan. People attend these to seek support or to enjoy the light-hearted atmosphere and beautiful crafts. Fundraisers have included a fitness class and dip in the sea on Boxing Day (organised by Kerry of Troon Dynamic Fitness), charity balls, comedy shows, race nights, fashion shows and individual endeavours, often achieved by people wishing to give back.
In Troon, the Beautiful Inside & Out SCIO team has worked collaboratively to open a charity shop in Portland Street. Donated goods shall be sold to raise much needed funds. The space shall also be used in the evenings as a hub for different support groups, providing people of all ages with a safe space to attend. Such groups enable people to form a support network that may last way beyond our therapies. If you would like to volunteer in our shop, please contact us through our Facebook page or by emailing beautifulinsideandoutscio@gmail.com.
My mantra was that if we could save even one life, then all of our pain would not be for nothing. I now hear many voices telling us that they had a date set to not be here and that our wonderful counsellors and therapists have saved their lives.
We receive many testimonials from grateful people such as this one:
“…I have been able to start piecing my life back together as a direct result of your charity. Words don’t do it justice… but the kindness and compassion you showed me when I reached out for help, not questioning me and no strings attached or hoops to jump through, is remarkable. I was in a really dark period of my life, and I feel I am starting to see the light…”
We hope that such positive outcomes encourage other troubled people to seek our support. My sweet Jenna, this is your legacy.
