Skipton's Fisher Medical Practice is to host a new fortnightly bereavement support session run by the Sue Ryder charity to help tackle grief loneliness.
The informal sessions are being supported by Andy Longden from Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, with the first one taking place on Friday 14th July.
There will also be sessions taking place in Bingley.
He shared his hope that the initiative would help reduce the isolation and loneliness felt by many people following a bereavement.
Andy said: “Almost every home in the UK has, or will experience the loss of someone, but Sue Ryder’s research* has found that 86% of people who had been bereaved said they felt alone in their grief.
“Our Grief Kind Spaces in Yorkshire will offer a free, friendly in-person drop-in session providing 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.”
Further research by the charity revealed an acute need for more informal bereavement support, which carved the way for the creation of Grief Kind Spaces.
Andy added: “We spoke with 8,000 people who have been bereaved last year and many told us what they really wanted was to meet and talk to others who had also been bereaved. I hope through our Grief Kind Spaces at Bingley and in Skipton, along with more Grief Kind Spaces opening across the country this year, we can meet this unfulfilled need.”
The Grief Kind Space in Bingley launches on 6 July and will take place from 10am until 12pm every second Thursday of the month at Bradford and Bingley Sports Club, Wagon Lane, Bingley, BD16 1LT.
The Grief Kind Space in Skipton launches on Friday 14 July from 10am until 12pm and will then take place every two weeks at Fisher Medical Practice, Coach Street, Skipton, BD23 1EU.
“Our Grief Kind Space will be welcoming, inclusive and open to anyone who is over 18 and has experienced a bereavement,” says Andy. “Whether you want to attend regularly to connect with others in similar situations or drop in for a quick chat.
“You don’t need to register and there’s no need to book. You don’t need to have received any support or care from Sue Ryder previously either. Just pop in to receive a warm welcome from our team of trained volunteers, who are there to listen if you have experienced any kind of loss at any time.”
For details of further Sue Ryder Grief Kind Spaces opening in 2023 visit 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.
For more information email griefkindspaces@sueryder.org
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