Key Points
- Charity recruitment website CharityJob awarded £10,000 to Birmingham-based charity Support After Murder and Manslaughter (SAMM National).
- SAMM National is one of five small UK charities receiving £10,000 each from CharityJob’s £50,000 annual charitable giving fund.
- Judges reviewed more than 1,400 applications from eligible UK charities to choose the five recipients.
- The money will fund SAMM National’s peer-led emotional and practical services across the United Kingdom for people bereaved by homicide.
- CharityJob co-founder Raya Wexler said rising operational costs, the cost-of-living crisis, and growing service demand have put smaller charities under severe financial strain.
Birmingham (Birmingham Express) November 14, 2026 – How has Birmingham-based charity SAMM National secured a £10,000 funding boost for homicide bereavement support?
A Birmingham charity that supports people bereaved by murder and manslaughter has been awarded a £10,000 grant by the charity sector recruitment platform CharityJob.
Support After Murder and Manslaughter, known as SAMM National, was chosen as one of five small UK charities to receive an equal share of a £50,000 charitable giving fund following a competitive selection process.
The Edgbaston-based organisation will use the funds to sustain its peer-led support services for families and individuals coping with the aftermath of homicide.
Why was SAMM National selected for the CharityJob grant?
CharityJob invited members of its sister network, CharityConnect, to apply for its 2026 annual charitable giving initiative.
As reported by the London Post, a CharityJob panel reviewed more than 1,400 applications before selecting five UK-based recipients. To qualify for consideration, applicants had to employ 50 or fewer staff members, maintain annual income and expenditure below £1 million, hold more than one year of charity registration with published accounts, and spend their funds exclusively on UK-based causes.
Alongside SAMM National, the other four selected charities are Cancer Support UK, SUDEP Action, RSPCA Stort Valley, and StreetDoctors.
As written by Raya Wexler, Co-Founder of CharityJob, on the CharityJob Recruiter Blog, the panel held hours of discussions to narrow down the submissions. Wexler noted that the 2026 donation brings CharityJob’s cumulative charitable giving to more than £1.6 million, supporting 127 charities across its 26-year history.
What did SAMM National and CharityJob say about the funding?
Leaders from both organisations emphasised the financial pressures facing smaller charities and the direct impact the £10,000 donation will have on bereaved families.
As reported by Reuben Virk of Birmingham Now, Joanne Early, CEO of SAMM National, stated: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this generous donation, which will enable us to continue providing vital support to those bereaved through homicide.”
In her statement published on the CharityJob Recruiter Blog, Joanne Early also noted: “We are incredibly grateful for this support and the difference it will make to the bereaved community.”
Explaining the decision to focus on smaller organisations during a challenging economic climate, Raya Wexler, co-founder of CharityJob and CharityConnect, told Birmingham Now: “Fundraising is tougher than ever for the charity sector, so we were focused on making sure our donations went to charities who could make the best use of our gift. Each organisation was clear in how they would utilise the funds, so we’re looking forward to seeing them put their plans into action.”
Wexler further explained to Birmingham Now that the cost-of-living crisis has reduced donors’ disposable income while operational expenses and service demand have risen.
What is the background of SAMM National and its work in homicide bereavement?
Founded to assist families devastated by fatal violence, Support After Murder and Manslaughter (SAMM National) operates from Pershore Road in Edgbaston, Birmingham, and delivers services across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The registered charity (RCN 1000598) receives no core government funding and relies entirely on charitable trusts, grants, corporate partnerships, and public donations to operate.
SAMM National’s model centres on peer support designed and delivered by trained volunteers who have personally experienced bereavement through murder or manslaughter. Its services include a confidential telephone helpline, online support forums, weekly support groups, individual support sessions, health and wellbeing workshops, and weekend retreats.
In addition to supporting close relatives, wider family members, and friends regardless of how long ago a bereavement occurred, the charity provides specialist training to police family liaison officers and first-responder agencies.
How will this funding affect bereaved families and small charities going forward?
For families and individuals across the UK navigating the trauma of murder or manslaughter, the £10,000 injection secures immediate continuity for free peer-led emotional and practical guidance at a time when SAMM National has been actively fundraising through public appeals to sustain its core services.
Without statutory government backing, grants of this size directly prevent service reductions in specialist helpline availability, retreat placements, and one-to-one volunteer sessions.
More broadly, the high volume of applicants—exceeding 1,400 small UK charities competing for five grants—indicates sustained financial vulnerability across the grassroots voluntary sector.
As inflation and reduced household giving continue to squeeze independent charities, smaller specialist organisations are likely to become increasingly reliant on targeted corporate philanthropy and sector-specific grant schemes to meet rising public demand.
