Bereavement

What happens when you go through bereavement?

It is devastating when you lose someone close to you. Everyone’s experience of grief is unique, but there are some common things that lots of us will feel. You might feel numb, angry, exhausted or guilty for something you did or didn’t do or say. Your mind will be distracted so you may also find it hard to concentrate as well as you would do normally. These feelings are normal and will pass, but it can take time.

Speaking to someone can help, and you may get all the support you need from family and friends. If you don’t feel able to open up to people that you know, or you feel you are struggling, then there are organisations and sources of support that can help. The services below can give you some support:

Helplines and Support Groups +

	CPFT Bereavement Support Group - These are held on the second Monday evening of each month, but please ring to check the date if you were not at the previous meeting. The meetings take place from 6pm-7.30pm at: Quaker Meeting House 21 Thorpe Road Peterborough PE3 6AB. If you are attending the group for the first time, it’s really important you contact us first so we can get some details from you and have a chat about the format of the meetings. Please give us a ring (details in leaflet link).

	Cruse Bereavement Care - Offers face-to- face, telephone (0808 808 1677) and email (helpline@cruse.org.uk) support.

	Samaritans – Provide a safe place for you to talk. They will listen and try to understand what you’re going through and help you make your own decisions that are right for you. You can get in contact with them via telephone (116 123 [free 24 hour helpline]), email, letter or face-to- face.

	Group Therapy's Alone Together Support Groups - In response to the COVID-19 pandemic we have set up a number of online ‘Alone Together’ support groups to help people during this challenging time. Although these aren’t therapy groups as such, the group therapists will allow you space to reflect on your experiences with other people and will introduce interventions if they feel they would be useful. The support groups offer the chance to gain back some kind of community and connection with other individuals. They are for anyone who is feeling alone, isolated or struggling with life in general, and would like to join a group to share their experiences and connect with others.

	Help is at Hand – A booklet specifically written for those bereaved by suicide by those who have also been affected by suicide. The booklet gives practical information as well as details of further support.

	National Bereavement Service - Provides bespoke practical and emotional support for bereaved people. Contact bereavement services via our helpline or send us a message today to get help. Emotional support and bereavement care is available to those who need extra comfort during this challenging time. We’re here to help and find solutions – whatever that may be.

Sometimes it isn’t just your own grief that you have to deal with, but that of your children. Children need time to grieve too, and it’s important to try and talk to them about their feelings as well as your own. Try to encourage them not to hide their feelings, but instead talk about them. As much as possible try to keep to the routine that your family had before the death to give a bit more stability, as hard as this may be.

These services provide specific support for young people and their families who are bereaved +

	Hope Again - Provides advice for young people after the death of someone close to them including personal stories of other young people who have been bereaved.

	Child Bereavement UK – supports families and educates professionals when a child or baby of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement.

	Cruse - (Self-Refer) - Cruse bereavement support have several local support services all over the UK. Cruse offer support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies and work to enhance society’s care of bereaved people.

	Ormiston Families Stars - is a children’s bereavement support service for young people finding it difficult to cope with the loss of someone significant in their life. Stars offers specialist bereavement support and counselling to those aged 4-19 in Cambridgeshire who are may be experiencing difficulties following the loss of someone close to them, such as a friend or family member.

	Grief Encounter - A national service providing support to bereaved children and teenagers including e-counselling and materials to help to support bereaved children. Email: contact@griefencounter.org.uk, Telephone: 02083 718455.

	Centre 33 - Provides free counselling to young people aged 13-25 years. Email: hello@centre33.org.uk, Telephone: 0333 4141 809 Text/WhatsApp: 07514 783745

	Compassionate Friends - A charitable organisation of bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents dedicated to the support and care of other similarly bereaved family members who have suffered the death of a child or children of any age and from any cause. Email: helpline@tcf.org.uk, Telephone: 034512 32304.

	YMCA Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - Provides free counselling to young people ages 13-25years. Email: counselling@theymca.org.uk, Telephone: 01733 373170.

	Keep Your Head - Provides details of more services and information on children's mental health.

	Kooth.com and Qwell.io are commissioned to provide an online wellbeing platform which along with text based counselling also includes helpful articles, forums, activity centre, daily journal and messaging. We provide British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy accredited services and Kooth is available to young people aged 11-18 (up to 19th birthday) and Qwell is available from 18+ in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The service provides a free and non-judgemental place for people to connect with others and they have instant access to self-help materials and moderated discussion forums. People can also contribute written pieces of work reflecting their own experiences, as well as accessing drop-in or booked sessions with professional counsellors, available 365 days a year, 12pm -10pm on weekdays and 6pm-10pm on weekends. Further information about Qwell can be found here and information about Kooth can be found here. More information is available by watching these videos: Qwell Kooth

Other local healthcare services +

	Everyturn Mental Health (previously Insight) - (Self-Refer) Free, confidential NHS Talking Therapies that you can refer yourself to. Call 0300 555 0888 or online www.everyturn.org

	Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice - The hospice’s family support team offers individual and group support pre and post bereavement. Trained staff and volunteers also facilitate the monthly walking group Wayfinders. Support for bereaved children aged six to 11 is available through the Charlie Chimp Club.

	Arthur Rank House Hospice, Cambridge - Offers bereavement support to the families of patients who have received care from one of their services. Keith Morrison (Chaplain), Email: keith.morrison@arhc.org.uk, Tel: 01223 675777

	Sue Ryder St John's Hospice - Offers bereavement support to families and friends of patients cared for at the hospice. Jane Maxfield, Family Support & Bereavement Co-ordinator.

	The Alan Hudson Day Treatment Centre - The Alan Hudson Day Treatment Centre based at North Cambs Hospital in Wisbech, is a day centre supporting people who are living with a life-limiting illness. They also run a support day three times a year for bereaved relatives.

	Cambridge University Counselling Service - This free service is for enrolled students and staff of the University of Cambridge.

	Anglia Ruskin University Counselling and Wellbeing Service- The Counselling and Wellbeing Service is available to all students at Anglia Ruskin University and offers a free and confidential service to promote mental health and wellbeing.

Voluntary organisations +

	Age UK - Provides advice and information for older people through an advice line‚ publications and website.

	The Samaritans - Provide confidential emotional support at all times of day and night.

	Cogwheel Trust for Counselling - The Cogwheel Trust is a charity, motivated by its Christian ethos, working throughout Cambridgeshire to improve the emotional and psychological well-being of local people.

	For more information on bereavement and dealing with grief please visit the NHS bereavement webpage. Click here for a printable bereavement leaflet full of services for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area.