Bereaved Andover residents will soon be able to access free, informal bereavement support, when the Countess of Brecknock Hospice (COBH) opens its doors next month to host the town’s first Grief Kind Space in association with national bereavement charity, Sue Ryder.
The Countess of Brecknock Hospice is pleased to be supporting the opening of the Sue Ryder Grief Kind Space which will be held at their premises at Brecknock House, Henry Gamman Drive, Charlton Road, Andover, SP10 3LB every Tuesday from 10am until 12 noon from 21 May.
They hope that the initiative will help reduce the isolation and loneliness felt by many people following a bereavement in the area.
Sarah McGaughey, Clinical Matron at COBH, said, “Almost every home in the UK has, or will experience the loss of someone, and research from Sue Ryder, who we are working with to open the Grief Kind Space, found that 86% of people who had been bereaved said they felt alone in their grief.”
“By opening Andover’s first Sue Ryder Grief Kind Space we hope we can fulfil this unmet need by offering a safe, welcoming and supportive place for anyone who has been bereaved to share their experiences of grief, helping them to feel heard and less alone.”
The Sue Ryder Grief Kind Space at Countess of Brecknock Hospice is a collaboration between the Andover-based hospice and national healthcare charity Sue Ryder, which has opened 19 Grief Kind Spaces across the country in the past year.
Carrie Connolly is the local Grief Kind Space Coordinator for Sue Ryder. She said, “Sue Ryder Grief Kind Spaces are free and friendly and the feedback so far from people accessing them is extraordinary. Attendees have told us how coming to the space each week makes the week ahead easier to face. Many have also shared with us how family and friends just don’t understand what they are feeling, but the people they meet at the Grief Kind Space do and it’s of enormous help to them.”
Terry (not their real name) regularly attends a Sue Ryder Grief Kind Space and says it has given them the opportunity to share their feelings about their bereavement. Terry shared“At the space you’ve suddenly got a license to share your feelings. It’s just talking. You can come and say nothing, or you can say everything, because it’s okay either way. It has given me the opportunity to talk with people who know exactly what you are going through.”
The Sue Ryder Grief Kind Space at Countess of Brecknock Hospice launches on the 21 May and will take place every Tuesday between 10am and 12 noon at The Countess of Brecknock Hospice, on Charlton Road. It will be open to anyone over 18 who has experienced a bereavement. There is no need to register and no need to book, just drop-in on the day.
“You don’t need to have received any support or care from the Countess of Brecknock Hospice previously either,” adds Sarah. “Whether you want to attend regularly for the full two hours, or pop in to connect with others in a similar situation for a quick chat when you need to, you will receive a warm welcome from our team of Sue Ryder trained volunteers, who are there to support anyone who has experienced any kind of loss at any time.”
For further details on the Sue Ryder Grief Kind Space at Countess of Brecknock Hospice visit www.sueryder.org/spaces
Sue Ryder Grief Kind Spaces is not a counselling service. Anyone seeking more formal support can use Sue Ryder’s existing Online Bereavement Counselling Service and other support services or speak to a member of staff at the Countess of Brecknock Hospice for details of local support.
For more information on Sue Ryder Grief Kind Space volunteering opportunities email griefkindspaces@sueryder.org. For hospice in-patient unit volunteering opportunities email info@cobh.org.uk.
For more information on Countess of Brecknock Hospice visit www.cobh.org.uk
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