Bereavement support - resources
You don't need to feel alone.
Below are some free to access resources, that may help you navigate through this difficult time.
Supporting your grief
Most people expect to be very upset or distressed when someone close to them has died. What takes many people by surprise is how strong the emotions can be, how they can change very quickly, and how long they last.
People around you may seem to think you should be ‘back to normal’ after a few weeks or months. You might appear to be your usual self to other people, but you know that on the inside, you’re not even sure what normal is anymore.
Everyone grieves in a way that is unique to them and their relationship with the person who has died. Well-intentioned people may say to you, ‘Time is a great healer.’ Sometimes, however, it can seem that life is more difficult as the weeks and months go by.
We know that no-one can understand exactly what your loss feels like to you. But we do understand that it’s sometimes easier to talk to someone outside of your friends and family about grief and the impact of bereavement of your life and this is why we offer the GriefChat service.
Want to talk to an Online GriefChat Counsellor?
GriefChat is a completely free service and is available Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm (except Bank Holidays).
GriefChat provides emotional support for bereaved people, access to trained bereavement counsellors, via a webchat and referral into other specialist bereavement services.
GriefChat counsellors are experienced in supporting bereaved people and will listen to your story, explore how your grief is affecting you and help you to find any additional support you might need.
GriefChat was created by bereavement experts and by clicking on the GriefChat box below, you can chat directly to a specially trained bereavement counsellor.
Please be aware, GriefChat is a third-party service and not an Arthur Rank Hospice Charity service.
The service is available to all Arthur Rank Hospice Charity website users over the age of 18. Where it may be identified that a service user is under the age of 18, GriefChat counsellors will outline the terms of service provision and direct the child/young person to other appropriate provision.
Bereavement Resources - click each dropdown for more information
Apps
Insight Timer
This app has many guided meditations – put in search terms such as ‘grief’, ‘bereavement’, facing death’.
Books
‘Option B‘, by Sheryl Sandberg & Adam Grant
An account of being widowed when also parenting young children.
‘With the End in Mind‘ by Kathryn Mannix
Helpful to read when supporting someone approaching death.
Podcasts
Websites
Bereavement support - local
Cruse Cambridge branch
Helpline 01223 633536, Monday – Friday 9.30am – 1.30pm (answer machine service outside these times). A volunteer will call you back in 1-2 days. cambridge@cruse.org.uk
The local branches of Cruse are part of the national charity Cruse Bereavement Care, whose aim is to provide bereavement support to anyone who needs it. This is a direct alternative to what we can offer at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and may have a shorter waiting list.
Support usually includes a telephone helpline, one-to-one support and support groups (only telephone/online video support is available at the present time due to Covid).
Staffed by experienced bereavement support volunteers, the service is confidential and free. Cruse aims to arrange an initial session of one-to-one support within 7 – 10 days.
If further sessions are required (usually up to 6 sessions are offered) there is a waiting list system. In the meantime, you can contact the telephone helpline whenever you need to.
CRUSE Cambridge branch covers the whole of Cambridgeshire, including Ely, Fenland, Newmarket, Haverhill and Uttlesford.
Details of further local branches below:
Bedfordshire – 0300 200 4108, bedfordshire@cruse.org.uk
Hertfordshire – 01707 278 389, hertfordshire@cruse.org.uk
Huntingdonshire – 07902 662 492, huntingdonshire@cruse.org.uk
Peterborough – 01733 348439, peterborough@cruse.org.uk
Suffolk – 01473 230888, suffolk@cruse.org.uk
Maggie’s Cambridge
An excellent local organisation for those living with cancer, their carers or bereaved family members (based on the Addenbrookes site).
Maggie’s can offer support the same day – which is not a service we can offer at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.
You can drop in Monday- Friday 9.00am-5.00pm for a cup of tea, meet people who understand what you’re going through or just take a moment to gather your thoughts. Free one-to-one help and information from a professional team.
Bereavement support - national
Bereavement UK
Provides bereavement support and information, including podcasts, articles and free e-books
Caring Together
Planning for tomorrow – after bereavement.
Losing a loved one is a painful and upsetting time for you and your family. We are here to support you as you come to terms with the changes this brings and look at continuing your life after your caring role.
caringtogether.org/support-for-carers/adult-carers/planning-for-tomorrow-after-bereavement
Child Bereavement UK
Confidential support, information and guidance to children, young people and families who have lost a child.
Helpline 0800 02 888 40 (freephone. Monday – Friday, 9.00am – http://0800 02 888 405.00pm)
Email for bereavement support: support@childbereavementuk.org
Live chat (Monday – Friday, 9.00am – 5.00pm)
Cruse Bereavement Care
Provides support services for people who have been bereaved. Helpline offering listening support and practical advice related to bereavement, including dealing with an estate, debt and arranging a funeral.
Puts people in touch with local Cruse branches that provide a range of services including individual and group support.
Macmillan Cancer Support
Offers support for people affected by cancer including bereavement.
Sudden
Sudden is a free, confidential, charity service when someone you love dies because of a sudden medical reason or terminal illness.
At Sudden, your named bereavement case worker supports you and stays in touch and gives advice and gets the help you need.
Sue Ryder Online Bereavement Support
Sue Ryder’s Online Bereavement Support makes it easy to connect with the right support from your own home.
Whether you’re looking for one-to-one professional support, to talk to others in similar situations, or to read expert information resources, you can access support for free on your computer, tablet or smartphone.
sueryder.org/online-bereavement-support
The Good Grief Trust
The UK’s leading bereavement network. Our growing central database lists over 800 local, regional and national support services, helplines, videos, advice and guidance under one umbrella.
The Good Grief Trust enables anyone who has been bereaved to find their nearest local support organisation.
Also practical help and tips from people who have been bereaved who tell their own stories.
Way Up
Way Up is an active self-help group aimed at providing mutual support to those widowed in their 50s and 60s.
It is a group with a positive forward-looking attitude to rebuild our lives and discovering that lives can be good again, that we can be happy once more.
Widowed and Young
National charity for men and women aged 50 or under when their partner died. Peer-to-peer support group run by a network of volunteers who have been bereaved at a young age themselves, so they understand exactly what other members are going through.
More than 1,500 members across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Bereavement Resources for Young People
Ormiston Stars Children’s Bereavement Support Service
Specialist pre and post bereavement counselling for children and young people aged 0-25, living in Cambridgeshire. Also provides support for families and professionals.
Centre 33
Provides free counselling to young people aged 13 to 25 years in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. There is also support for young carers aged 8-18
Winston’s Wish
Support for bereaved children and young people.
Help2makesense
Help 2 Make Sense is an online tool brought to you by Winston’s Wish, a charity supporting bereaved children and young people. It aims to help young people who have experienced the death of a loved one come to terms with their loss.
We know how beneficial it can be to learn that you are not alone. That you are not the only young person going through this. That’s why we want to share the stories of young people we’ve supported, and how they have coped with their grief.
You’ll also find advice and tips on coping with your grief, resources and reading lists to help you come to terms with the death of someone close to you.
Young Minds
When you lose someone close to you, it’s natural to feel sad, depressed, worried or angry. Everyone reacts in their own way. If you’re finding it hard to cope, we can help you find support. This website includes short videos and links to other services.
https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/feelings-and-symptoms/grief-and-loss/
Hope Again
Hope Again is the youth website of Cruse Bereavement Care. It is a safe place where you can learn from other young people, how to cope with grief, and feel less alone.
Here you will find information about our services, a listening ear from other young people and advice for any young person dealing with the loss of a loved one.
Let’s Talk About Loss
Supports 18-35 year olds who have been bereaved of anyone, at any time.
They run monthly, peer-led meet ups all over the country and there is one online too, so wherever you are, you can access support. They talk about grief in a relaxed, fun and safe space with others of the same age who ‘get it’.
www.letstalkaboutloss.org or follow @talkaboutloss on social media.
Grief Encounter
Being bereaved at this age is difficult to say the least. We hope to give you some information about what grief may look and feel like for you and some of the natural responses after a bereavement.
We will be there for you when you feel you would like our support. Here are some of the ways in which we can support you through these overwhelming and challenging times:
- Grieftalk Helpline
- One to one counselling
- Group counselling
- Therapeutic Workshops
- Fun Days Out
- Residential
- FREE Resources (Workbooks, Grief kits)
We know that it can be scary to engage in this process, but we want you to know that you do not have to do this alone. Grief Encounter are a click or phone call away, where we hope to support you through these overwhelming experiences. If you would like to read some of the natural responses to grief, take a look at our grief guide or give us a call/email.
Young Minds Crisis Messenger
The Young Minds Crisis Messenger text service provides free, 24/7 crisis support across the UK. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and need support, you can text YM to 85258.
We know that finding the right support is important, especially if you need someone to talk to right now. We aim to connect every texter to a trained volunteer promptly to provide crisis help. They will listen to you and help you think more clearly, enabling you to know that you can take the next step to feeling better.
https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/get-urgent-help/youngminds-crisis-messenger/
Downloadable PDF Bereavement Information
You can download a PDF of where you can access Bereavement Resources here.
You can download a PDF of where you can access Bereavement Resources for Young People here.
You can download a PDF of where you can access a full list of Bereavement Resources here.
You can download a PDF of where you can access Bereavement and Autism Resources here.
You can download a PDF of where you can access Bereavement Resources for Adult Child Loss here.