Bereavement

The Bereavement Register

Tel. 0870 600 7222

http://www.thebereavementregister.org.uk

The organisation aims to supply the names of the recently deceased to mail order companies to ensure that their names are deleted from databases so that mailings are not sent out which would otherwise cause distress to the bereaved. Register to stop direct mail being sent out.

The Child Bereavement Network is a national multi-professional federation of organisations and individuals working with children and young people. They produce a directory which aims to put people in touch with children's bereavement support services in their local area. They have a database of information about sources of support for bereaved children. CBN is supported by all the major bereavement care organisations in the UK.

The Charity provides training and support for professional carers and supplies information and resources for bereaved families and professionals.

The helpline is a listening service that offers emotional support to anyone affected by the death of a child.

The Compassionate Friends offers support and friendship to bereaved parents and their families, and to friends and professionals who are helping the families. It has self-help support groups throughout the United Kingdom. They offer a listening service and will provide details of local contacts who can offer ongoing support. (See also listing for Shadow of Suicide on p. 148.)

The Compassionate Friends also offer Support in Bereavement for Brothers and Sisters (SIBBS). This provides telephone support and advice, and arranges meeting for bereaved siblings. It has a contact network and a newsletter.

Crocus offers support to bereaved children in Inverness and the Highlands of Scotland.

This is a national organisation with local branches and over 7,000 volunteers. It offers counselling, support and advice to those who are bereaved and training for volunteers and professionals working with the bereaved.

The helpline offers a listening and support service for bereaved young people. Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland http://www.crusescotland.org.uk

Daisy's Dream offers a number of services to cater for individual family needs following bereavement. It provides training for professionals such as teachers, who may find themselves working with bereaved children.

Epilepsy Bereaved offers emotional support and advice to those who have been bereaved by a sudden death in epilepsy (SUDEP). It produces a news magazine and information on SUDEP.

A charity that provides one to one counselling, telephone support and advice as well as running an annual international conference related to an [Page 131]aspect of bereavement. It also offers training in helping young people to manage loss and courses on bereavement care.

Publishes a directory of hospice and palliative care services.

The Lesbian and Gay Bereavement Project offers emotional support and advice to anyone bereaved of their same-sex partner. The group also provides speakers and has prepared a free will form to encourage life partners to write a will. Send an SAE if you require a copy.

The LBN maintains a list of bereavement services in London.

The Lone Twin Network offers support to lone twins over the age of 18 whose twin has died. This does not have to be a recent bereavement; the loss could have occurred at any stage of life.

Online support and message boards based on one woman's account of being widowed at a young age.

[Page 132]The self-help organisation offers telephone support and advice and may put widows in contact with others in a similar situation in their local area. The befriending service is accessed from the national office.

The national helpline is staffed by people who have experienced bereavement and organ retention. The helpline offers support and answers to relatives' queries about organs that might have been retained as well as offering practical support.

Rainbows helps children and young people who are suffering bereavement or other forms of loss. It works through schools and family centres.

The Sand Rose Project organises breaks in Cornwall, free of charge for bereaved families.

This bereavement service offers support to children and young people under 18 by telephone support, one to one and group counselling. It also runs training courses for professionals and volunteers involved in bereavement support.

Self-help social and support network for men and women under 50 who have been widowed. The main aim is to help young widows to rebuild their lives by helping one another.

Winston's Wish offers practical support and guidance for bereaved children and young people and their families. There are weekend events which bereaved parents and family members attend, to work with their grief and take part in activities to build resilience after loss. Winston's Wish also sells materials, such a memory boxes, to use following bereavement.

Yad b'Yad is Hebrew for Hand in Hand and is a Jewish child bereavement project which advises professionals and agencies about the needs of Jewish children.

Cancer-Related Organisations

Cancer BACUP provides a Cancer Information Service which gives practical advice and emotional support to patients, their family and friends and to those bereaved by cancer. The website has more than 4,500 pages of cancer information.

CALL offers emotional support and home-based practical help for people living with cancer as well as their carers and families.

[Page 134]The Cancer Counselling Trust has specially trained psychotherapists and counsellors who are experienced in working with people affected by cancer.

CancerHelp UK is a free service which provides information on cancer and cancer care.

Cancerlink provides information and emotional support to people with cancer, their families and friends and those who work with them.

Researches the causes, prevention and treatment of cancer and provides information on different types of cancer as well as addressing practical issues, including how to reduce the risks of getting cancer.

Chai Cancer Care offers emotional, physical and spiritual support, advice and care to Jewish cancer patients and their family and friends.

Macmillan offers life support by providing expert care to ease the pain and discomfort of those with cancer. It provides a range of innovative cancer services and is dedicated to improving cancer care in the UK.

[Page 135]The alliance represents the concerns and interests of cancer patients, their families and carers. It works to raise awareness of cancer services, diagnosis, treatment and care.

Marie Curie Cancer Care has a national network of Marie Curie nurses who provide palliative care in patients' homes and at Marie Curie Centres. These services are free of charge to the patients.

This organisation for patients and their families promotes the use of alternative therapies in cancer treatment and care. It emphasises holistic treatment to meet their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. It provides information and a referral service.

The Tenovus Information Centre funds support and counselling services for cancer patients and their families through a team of nurses, counsellors and social workers.

General Resources

ACT is a national organisation which offers advice and support to familes.

ADEC is a non-profit organisation devoted to issues and education in dying, death and bereavement. It publishes a monthly newsletter and a journal which covers research in thanatology.

Age Concern is a registered charity that provides information and support to people aged over 50 and practical help for older bereaved people. Local branches may offer counselling support. It is open 365 days a year from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. It also publishes information leaflets, policy papers and a range of books.

The Society offers support and advice to those suffering from dementia, and to their families and carers. Local support agencies can be found on the national website or by telephoning the Society.

The Animal Samaritans offers a Pet Bereavement Scheme, a telephone service where bereaved pet owners can find support, help and a sympathetic listening ear.

The Service offers advice and support to Asian families.

BACP has directories of counsellors and psychotherapists throughout the United Kingdom. It also conducts research, issues a monthly journal to its members and runs training and accreditation courses.

This is a befriending network of trained volunteers which is active in north and west London, though it does refer on to other agencies in other areas. Members offer support to people suffering from terminal or life-threatening illnesses as well as providing support for family and carers.

[Page 138]The non-religious Humanist Society offer services to mark the death of a person in the form of a highly personalised, empathetic ceremony carried out by accredited officiants.

BODY is a self-help organisation that offers support to families of organ donors and those who have received organs. It also helps people waiting for organs and those whose relatives have died following a transplant or while waiting for one.

The British Red Cross cares for people in crisis throughout the UK. Volunteers provide local services, including transportation and escort services if needed.

Offers a befriending service and runs courses for Buddhists and those interested in the philosophy of death, dying and bereavement.

CALM offers support to young men suffering from depression.

Recognising the stress of caring for others, Crossroads provides care and advice for carers. It has local contact numbers throughout the UK.

CRY is a national charity which was set up in 1995 to raise awareness of cardiac risk in the young, including sudden cardiac death and Sudden Death Syndrome. The website lists regional contacts.

A guide to what you must do and the help you can get is contained in the form D49 April 2006

This gives all the information related to legal procedures following a death and practical advice for the bereaved.

The Depression Alliance offers information and support for people affected by depression.

The Foundation focuses on making everyday life easier for disabled people, older people and their carers. It provides information and support.

Gingerbread provides friendship, support and advice to lone parents, including those new lone parents who have been bereaved.

Help the Aged provides advice and leaflets on housing, welfare rights and benefits following bereavement.

Offers care for the terminally ill in a hospice or at home with support from their families. Directory of local hospice services available. It also runs training courses for people working with children and adults on dying, death and bereavement.

The Institute supplies names and addresses of practitioners of a wide variety of complementary medicine.

Advises on local services in the United Kingdom for those of the Islamic faith.

The JBCS offers a confidential counselling service for the bereaved to any member of the Jewish community as well as advice on bereavement rituals and customs.

The Liaison Team offers a telephone service for people affected by bereavement, including information on the role of the coroner, how to register a [Page 141]death, the role of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office when death happens overseas, and advice on wills and estates.

The Imam, Dr Adjuljalili Sajid, offers advice and information on all aspects of Muslim law including those which relate to dying, death and mourning.

Offers information and support to lone parents.

The Muslim Health Network works with support networks throughout the UK to assist in the research, promotion and dissemination of health information to the Muslim community. Schools, community projects businesses and mosques all offer support and advice to the health network including that which relates to bereavement.

The national charity offers support and advice to family and friends of people who have gone missing from home.

The Natural Death Centre aims to support people dying at home, and their families and carers. It helps them to arrange inexpensive, family-organised and environmentally friendly funerals. It aims to improve the quality of dying and events following death.

Natural Endings provides environmentally friendly coffins made from sea grass and willow for burials in woodland and natural burial sites.

Nightline is a national student telephone helpline run by students to help and support their peers. It is an active listening service which does not aim to give solutions but provides an empathic understanding of difficulties, including bereavement support.

The PDS offers support and advice to those who have Parkinson's disease as well as their family and friends.

Pet Bereavement Support offers help following the death of a pet. Trained volunteers listen and provide empathic comfort to the bereaved and provide a befriending service.

The Rainbow Centre offers free professional support and help to children who are seriously ill, and their families. It also provides bereavement support following the death of a parent or sibling.

Refugee Action provides counselling and impartial information to refugees who are considering return to their country of origin. They assist with travel arrangements if appropriate.

The Refugee Council supports asylum seekers and refugees as well as offering training for support service providers across the United Kingdom.

Offers support on the telephone and face to face, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It has branches throughout the country and provides confidential help to anyone in distress or despair.

Sue Ryder Care offers support to people with disabilities and life-shortening illnesses, as well as family and friends. It works in the community and aims to fill gaps that are found in the National Health Service. It has care homes and hospices throughout the UK.

Teen Issues features articles on a variety of aspects, including living with loss.

[Page 144]The British Deaf Association offers bereavement counselling and support to the deaf.

Provides legal information for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals.

A charity which provides practical support, advice and counselling for anyone concerned about AIDS or HIV infection and anyone bereaved by AIDS.

Mental Health Organisations

Depression Alliance has a network of over sixty self-help groups and a website that includes creative pages for people to contribute to (creative@depressionalliance.org).

ICAP offers culturally sensitive counselling, including bereavement counselling, for the Irish community in Britain.

Mencap is a charity which provides advice, support and information to people with a learning difficulty.

A national charity with branches throughout the UK. It provides information, individual support and support groups for those with mental health concerns. It also publishes literature related to mental health concerns.

Miscarriage and Early Infant Death

ARC is a national helpline for parents who have had a termination for an abnormality. It offers advice and support.

Babyloss provides information and support for bereaved parents and their families who have lost a baby at any stage of pregnancy, at birth or because of neonatal death.

The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths offers support to families of a baby who has died suddenly and unexpectedly. It provides a twenty-four-hour helpline, a national network of befrienders and holds meetings as well as providing advice and leaflets to aid the bereaved.

The Association offers support and information on any loss related to pregnancy, including ectopic pregnancy. It has a UK-wide network of telephone contacts who have experienced pregnancy loss themselves and who give support, understanding and an empathic listening ear.

The Missing GRACE Foundation offers pregnancy and infant loss support as well as support for those struggling with infertility and those seeking to adopt a child.

SANDS offers support for bereaved parents and families following the death of a baby who dies at birth or shortly afterwards. It has a national telephone helpline and a national network of support groups run by members of self-help groups who have been similarly bereaved. It also provides information for the bereaved and for health professionals and support for the next pregnancy.

Tommy's offers support to parents-to-be, those who are trying for a baby and for those who have had difficulties related to pregnancy. It also provides specific information to health care professionals who care for pregnant women.

Traumatic Injury and Death

ASSIST provides a confidential counselling service and offers support, understanding and friendship to anyone affected by post-traumatic stress disorder.

Brakecare is a charity caring for people who have been bereaved, injured or affected by a road crash. It campaigns for greater road safety. It also provides information on erecting roadside memorials.

CADD provides support for the families of victims killed and injured by drunk and irresponsible drivers. It also campaigns for greater awareness of the risks involved in drinking and driving.

Disaster Action is a charity set up and run by survivors and bereaved from UK and overseas disasters. Founded in 1991, it provides an independent advocacy and advisory service that represents the interests of those directly affected by disaster.

FoMC offers practical and emotional support to families and friends of murdered victims. It has close links with Victim Support.

[Page 148]Inquest provides information and advice for those who are bereaved after a death in custody – in prison, in a police station, in psychiatric detention and in immigration. They offer a casework service. It is a national service and will work with the bereaved throughout the UK.

The Medical Foundation is a national charity that supports those who have been affected by torture, including refugees and asylum seekers. It offers one to one counselling, medical treatment, legal and psychotherapeutic support.

Papyrus offers support and resources for anyone dealing with suicide, depression and distress, particularly teenagers and young adults. The Hopeline is a telephone service for anyone concerned about a young person who might be thinking of suicide.

POMC provides ongoing emotional support, education and advocacy for children who are murdered, and their family and friends. They offer online support, guidelines for victims and support for survivors as well as giving advice to professionals who are working with the family of a child who has been murdered.

This is a national charity which supports road traffic victims and their families. Trained volunteers offer emotional and practical support and information about legal aspects. Roadpeace volunteers can arrange for contact with others similarly affected by injury or bereavement following a road traffic accident.

The Compassionate Friends offers support to parents who have been bereaved by a child's suicide. It is a self-help organisation which provides individual, one to one support as well as support in groups.

This is a self-help voluntary organisation which offers telephone support, practical advice, home visits and group sessions and has a bereavement pack. It also strives to raise public awareness about suicide, and training for both professionals and volunteers.

This listening-only service offers support to relatives and friends of people who have died suddenly. It is run by people who have experienced a sudden loss and offers practical as well as emotional support.

The Sudden Trauma Information Helpline provides a confidential service for survivors of all kinds of sudden trauma.

A national self-help support group, SAMM offers support and advice to those bereaved through murder or manslaughter. There are local groups and volunteers and the national office provides details of local representatives.

SAMM Abroad offers support to those who have been bereaved by murder or manslaughter while abroad.

Works to help those who have been injured, bereaved or affected by road death or injury. There is access to free practical and legal help as well as counselling. SCARD also provides one to one visits, accompanying people to court, liaising with police, and providing support at inquests, as well as offering educational input for schools and youth groups.

Practical advice and support is offered to victims of crime and their families. This includes those who have been bereaved through crime and violence. Victim Support operates throughout the UK.

Victim's Voice is a campaigning charity. It is an umbrella organisation which provides a voice for organisations and individual members, to raise issues that arise when people are bereaved by traumatic sudden death or suffer serious assaults. It will offer one to one support but generally signposts people to relevant organisations according to the nature of the sudden death.