National Grief Awareness Week
06 Dec 2023
National Grief Awareness Week ( 2 to 8 December)
The start of December marks National Grief Awareness Week. National Grief Awareness Week is a compassionate and important observance dedicated to raising awareness about grief, providing support to those who are grieving, and fostering a better understanding of the grieving process.
It acknowledges that grief is a natural response to loss and aims to break the stigma surrounding this deeply personal experience. It aims to create a safe space for individuals to openly discuss their experiences with grief and loss. It encourages empathy, compassion, and support for those who are grieving, emphasising that grief is a universal and often challenging part of the human experience.
Grief Awareness Week is important because:
1. Grief will affect us all in our lifetime
2. To challenge societies unrealistic expectations of what grief should look and feel like
3. To highlight how forever world-changing experiencing bereavement can be: it is not something that goes away, it is something we live with and manage.
4. To educate to allow for better support for ourselves and others
Coping with grief over Christmas
Christmas time can bring lots of opportunity to connect with family, friends, and colleagues. However it can also be a time when the loss of a loved one can feel greater and more difficult. Whether it's your first Christmas since they passed, or you lost someone many years ago, Christmas can be a particularly painful time. Cruse Bereavement Support advise on coping with grief over Christmas, ways to remember people at Christmas and tips on what to say to someone who is grieving.
Support
There are many support services available for grief and bereavement, some tailored towards the person lost and services for particular age groups. You or someone you know may benefit from reaching out to one of these services.
24 hour Support Lines
116 123 (UK) For anyone at anytime for any reason
0800 1111 Support for 18yrs & under and their relatives
0800 470 8090 Support for the over 50's
Grief and Bereavement Support Services
Greater Manchester Bereavement service: find bereavement support local to you.
Cruse Bereavement Care: Help for anyone experiencing bereavement to understand their grief and cope with their loss, with free and confidential support. Open Monday to Friday 9.30am – 5pm, Weekends 10am – 2pm. Helpline: 0808 808 1677.
National Bereavement Helpline Partnership: Open everyday 7am – 10pm for emotional support. Helpline: 0800 448 0800.
Grief Encounter: Supporting bereaved children and their families in the UK get the best possible help, recognition and understanding following their loss. Open Monday-Friday 9 am-9pm Helpline: 0808 802 0111
Bereavement Advice Centre: For information and advice concerning a death.
Child Bereavement UK:Support and advice for bereaved families. Open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm Helpline: 0800 02 888 40.
The Compassionate Friends: supporting bereaved parents and their families. Open every day 10am – 4pm and 7 – 10pm. Helpline: 0345 123 2304.
The Lullaby Trust: Bereavement support to anyone affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a baby or young child. Monday – Friday 10am – 2pm and 6 – 10pm on weekends and public holidays helpline: 0808 802 6868.
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide:(SOBS) Support, information, help by email, support groups and a national helpline open 9am-9pm Monday-Friday, 0300 111 5065.
Marie Curie: Practical and clinical information and support on all aspects of end of life and bereavement. Open 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday, and 11am – 5pm on Saturdays. Helpline: 0800 090 2309.