Bereavement Support
Coping with the loss of a loved one can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. This page is here to guide you, offering easy access to information, services, and resources to help you take the next step towards healing.
Bereaved through Suicide, Crime or Accident
o Brake
Offers support to anyone who has been bereaved or seriously injured in a crash. Offers information and advice to professionals to better enable them to support road crash victims and families bereaved by such.
Victim Helpline: 0808 800 0401
Email: help@brake.org.uk
Website: http://www.brake.org.uk
o Kaleidoscope Plus
Offering suicide bereavement support services for people across the UK which includes emotional and practical support – also family liaison support, support groups for peers as well as support via phone/online/email support.
Call: 0121 565 5605
Website: www.kaleidoscopeplus.org.uk
o SAMM - Support after Murder and Manslaughter
Free and confidential helpline offering advice and support to those bereaved by murder or manslaughter.
Helpline: 0121 472 2912 (leave a message and they will get back to you, or try texting 07342888570)
Email: info@samm.org.uk
Website: https://www.samm.org.uk
o Victim Support
Free confidential support and advice (independent of the police) for anyone in England or Wales who has been affected by crime.
Support Line: 0808 1689 111 (24/7)
Website: https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/ (email available via website)
o Disaster Action
Established by and for survivors and people bereaved from major disasters. Offers advocacy service representation, facilitates self-help groups and provides information and literature.
Email: admin@disasteraction.org.uk
Website: https://www.disasteraction.org.uk
o Road Peace
Offers helpline support via email, telephone and in person, including a befriending service, support groups for specific areas, and guidance and information. They provide information on navigating through the justice system and help with seeking fair compensation for bereaved families and seriously injured victims.
Helpline: 0800 160 1069
Email: helpline@roadpeace.org
Website: http://www.roadpeace.org
o Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide
Free and confidential helpline, offering advice and emotional support for people bereaved by suicide. Service is for 18years+, under 18s signpost to Papyrus. Also offering ‘BereaveMENt’ which is a virtual support group just for men. Face-to-face support available but only in certain areas, enquire via helpline.
National Support Line: 0300 111 5065
Email: email.support@uksobs.org
Website: https://uksobs.org
Bereaved Through The Loss of a Partner
o The Jolly Dollies
An organisation founded by widows, to help fellow widows regain a social life though friendship and organised social events – you can search by region. There are Jolly Dolly groups in many areas of the UK you can join, with an annual membership fee of £20.
Apply to be a member online at: https://thejollydollies.co.uk/
o WAY UP
Peer support for widows/widowers in their 50s and 60s, creating national, regional and very local meets. They communicate with members via their forum on the internet.
Registration is free and simply, and can be done on their website www.way-up.co.uk/
o WAY (Widowed and Young) Foundation
Peer support groups for men and women aged 50 or under. Run by a network of volunteers who have been bereaved at a young age themselves. They organise events and also have a member’s helpline available. Apply to become a member (£30 a year) via email or website.
Call: 0300 201 0051
Email: membership@widowedandyoung.org.uk to apply.
Website: https://www.widowedandyoung.org.uk/
Bereaved Parents
o Child Death Helpline
Helpline run by trained volunteers who have also experienced the loss of a child. Offering free and confidential on-going emotional support.
Helpline: 0800 282 986
Website: http://childdeathhelpline.org.uk
o SANDS - Stillbirth & Neonatal Death
Offers a free and confidential helpline to anyone who has been affected by the death of a baby. There is an online community and are support groups. There is also a bereavement support app too.
Helpline: 0808 164 3332
Email: helpline@sands.org.uk
Website: https://www.sands.org.uk
o The Lullaby Trust
Supports families, friends, carers and professionals after the sudden and unexpected death of a baby or young toddler.
Bereavement Support Helpline: 0808 802 6868
Email: support@lullabytrust.org.uk
Website: https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk
o Miscarriage Association
A pregnancy loss helpline which provides information and support, there is also information about how to cope with loss during these times and an online support group.
Helpline: 01924 200 799
Email: info@miscarriageassociation.org.uk
Website: www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk
o The Compassionate Friends
Offer bereaved families support after the death of a child of any age. The Compassionate Friends has an online forum and have in place local support groups, online groups as well as one-to-one support that is operating in-person in certain locations, also support can be gained via email.
Helpline: 0345 123 2304
Email: helpline@tcf.org.uk
Website: www.tcf.org.uk
Bereaved Children and Young People
o Child Bereavement UK
Offering free and confidential bereavement support by telephone, video or instant messenger. Support is available for individuals, couples and children. Group support is available for young people, families and parents. They offer live chat via their website and also provide families with pre-bereavement support.
Helpline: 0800 028 8840
Email: helpline@childbereavementuk.org
Website: https://www.childbereavementuk.org/
o Hope Support Services
Support services and online services available to young persons aged 5 to 25 for when a close family member is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. There is a private Facebook group and also an online community available.
Call: 01989 566 317
Email: help@hopesupportservices.org.uk
Website: www.hopesupport.org.uk
o Winston’s Wish
National helpline offering support, information and guidance to children, young people and anyone caring for a child/young person who has been bereaved of a parent or sibling. The trained staff offer support, provide information, give options and practical suggestions about how to deal with bereavement and anyone affected. They also offer online grief support groups and have a message board for young people on their website.
Helpline: 08088 020 021
Email: ask@winstonswish.org
Website: www.winstonswish.org.uk/
o Grief Encounter
Offers support to children and young people who have suffered from bereavement via phone, email and web-chat. Services include: 1-2-1 counselling services, facilitated group support, advice and information and a helpline. Their website has resources for children, teenagers, adults and professionals.
Helpline: 0808 802 0111
Email: bereavementsupport@griefencounter.org.uk
Website: www.griefencounter.org.uk
o Rainbow Trust
Supports families who have a child aged 0-18 with a terminal or life-threatening or terminal illness. Can support families in a wide variety of ways including family support workers, sibling support, home support, hospital support, bereavement support.
Call: 01372 363 438
Email: enquiries@rainbowtrust.org.uk
Website: https://rainbowtrust.org.uk/
Culturally Specific Bereavement Support
o Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service
Currently supporting people in-person and also though telephone, social media, Zoom and Whatsapp.
Call: 0208 951 3881
Email: enquiries@jbcs.org.uk
Website: http://jbcs.org.uk
o The Lateef Project
Provides online free multi-lingual faith based (Islamic) counselling to those who have been bereaved. Offering telephone and online counselling via Zoom. Make contact to check what areas are currently being supported.
Email: info@lateefproject.org / farzana.lateefprojectnk@gmail.com
Website: https://lateefproject.org/
o Muslim Bereavement Support
Offering women in-person 1-2-1 bereavement support and also support via telephone and email, trained volunteers offer support in multiple languages.
Call: 020 3468 7333
Email: info@mbss.org.uk
Website: http://mbss.org.uk/
Financial Issues
o Bereavement Advice Centre
Provides practical, financial and legal advice.
Call: 0800 144 8848
Email: info@bereavementadvice.org
Website: www.bereavementadvice.org
o DWP
Support available from the Department of Working Pensions after someone has died, though an automated letter acknowledging the bereavement should be received.
Call: 0800 151 2012
Website: https://www.gov.uk/bereavement-payment/how-to-claim
o Child Funeral Charity
CFC assists families financially in England and Wales who have to arrange a funeral for a baby or child aged 16 or under.
Call: 01480 276 088
o Funeral Costs Advice – ‘Down to Earth’
Offers advice surrounding funeral arrangements. Information and support available for those having experienced recent bereavement as well as those anticipating future bereavement.
Helpline: 020 8983 5055
Email: downtoearth@qsa.org.uk
Website: https://www.quakersocialaction.org.uk/we-can-help/helping-bereavement/down-earth/how-it-works
Employment Support
o Enable
Enable offers employment support to people trying to overcome barriers when entering or returning to employment.
Call: 01743 276 900
Website: www.enableservices.co.uk
o Landau
Landau is a supported employment and training charity that provides structured routes to employment and access to learning.
Call: 01952 221 468
Website: https://www.landau.co.uk/
Support and Advice Surrounding Inquests
o Coroners Court Support Service
Trained volunteers offer emotional support and practical help to bereaved families, witnesses and others attending an Inquest at a Coroner’s Court. Offering support in-person, via telephone and email.
Call: 0300 111 2141
Email: info@ccssupport.org.uk
o Inquest
Providing free advice to people bereaved by a death in state care (such as in custody or detention centres).
Call: 020 7263 1111 (press option 1)
Email: inquest@inquest.org.uk
Website: https://www.inquest.org.uk
Pet Bereavement and Support
o Blue Cross for Pets
Offering a free and confidential helpline and also email support by trained volunteers, for people in distress due to the death, loss or separation of their pet.
Helpline: 0800 096 6606
Email: pbssmail@bluecross.org.uk
Website: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-bereavement-and-pet-loss
o Cinnamon Trust
o Cinnamon Trust
Cinnamon Trust supports elderly and terminally ill people and their pets. Provides practical help when any aspect of day-to-day care poses a problem, i.e. walking the dog for a housebound owner. A national fostering service is provided for pets whose owners face a spell in hospital or who move to accommodation, which does not allow pets.
Helpline: 01736 757 900
Non Specific Bereavement Support
o Cruse Bereavement Support
Offering information and guidance via their website, there is also useful links and resources available regarding to specific types of loss. Support available is dependent on the area you live in, but all areas should offer free and confidential telephone support. Web-chat is also available via the website.
Helpline: 01952 305 555/ 0808 808 1677
Website: https://www.cruse.org.uk/
Resources and Help Finding Support
o At A Loss
A website that helps people find the specific type of bereavement support they need. You are able to search for support based on who has died, the circumstances of their death, the age of the person needing support and your location.
Website: https://www.ataloss.org/
o The Good Grief Trust
Offering a wealth of information of grief, signposting to support options in your area, access to virtual cafes, LGBTQ support, pre-bereavement advice, information about funerals and for professionals and much more.
Email: hello@thegoodgrieftrust.org
Website: https://www.thegoodgrieftrust.org/