Sign in Basket (0) 01282 440100 DONATE GET IN TOUCH Home About Patients & Carers Fundraising Volunteers & Jobs For Professionals News Fundraising events Service user events Sign up to newsletter News calendar August 2021 Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 Today Bereavement group relaunched to help people grieving for loved ones People who have lost a family member or a close friend and are suffering from grief will soon be able to attend Pendleside Hospice’s bereavement group which is about to re-start on the 6th September. It is 16 months since the monthly meetings had to be stopped because of the Coronavirus pandemic and in the interim period people suffering grief have only been able to receive one-to-one virtual counselling either on Zoom and Skype or over the telephone. Simon Frauts, family support team leader, said: “Some people prefer the one-to-one counselling but others feel more comfortable in a group situation which hasn’t been possible because of the Covid-19 restrictions. “But, now, we are about to relaunch the bereavement group which will meet on the first Monday of every month. People will join for eight sessions over eight months. The meetings will start at 6pm and finish at 7.30pm. “One difference from before is that rather than have more or less an open house we are now arranging for groups of between 10 and 15 to attend each series of meetings.” Ken Mitchell, a counsellor at Pendleside, who will be organising the programme, says he will be there as a facilitator. He said: “The meetings will be structured in that I have planned certain themes for each week but not so strictly structured as not to allow people to be open about their own situation. We want them to express their feelings and to explain how they are dealing with day-to-day life. “Everyone’s grief is different but through peer support and listening to other’s experiences we have found that people in the bereavement group take great comfort from the meetings giving them more confidence to approach their daily routine.” Ken added: “I see the meetings serving a therapeutic purpose and are planned in a manner which appreciates that everyone will be at a different stage of grief.” Ken will be joined by Deborah Wilkinson and Gillian Concannon, who themselves are widowed and met at previous bereavement group meetings. Ken said: “Deborah and Gillian wanted so much to come back and share their experiences and explain how meeting within a group environment helped them overcome the initial devastation brought on by losing someone you love dearly. “It’s not unusual for people who attend to make close friends within the group and arrange to meet socially outside the hospice. We have even had people who have arranged holidays together after meeting at Pendleside.” Anyone who has suffered a loss either in the family or of a close friend, whether they were connected to the hospice or not, can apply to join the bereavement group by ringing 01282 440102.” 6th August 2021, 15:37 Page updated 23rd Aug 2021, 15:40 News About us Site map Downloads Meals on Wheels Privacy and Data Protection Statement Terms of use Useful links Personal data © 2015 – 2021 Pendleside Hospice Registered Charity No. 700993 Web design by Brick technology Ltd., 2015 We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. By continuing to use the website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more