BEREAVED Andover residents will soon be able to access free, informal bereavement support, when a hospice opens its doors next month to host the town’s first Grief Kind Space.
The Sue Ryder Grief Kind Space at Countess of Brecknock Hospice (COBH) is a collaboration between the Andover-based hospice and national healthcare charity Sue Ryder, which has opened 19 such spaces across the country in the past year.
It will be open at hospice premises at Brecknock House, Henry Gamman Drive, Charlton Road, Andover, SP10 3LB, every Tuesday from 10am until 12noon from May 21.
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.
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The organisers 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: “By opening Andover’s first Sue Ryder Grief Kind Space we hope we can fulfil the 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.”
You don’t need to have received any support or care from the Countess of Brecknock Hospice previously either.
Ms McGaughey added: “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.”
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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.”
For further details on the Sue Ryder Grief Kind Space at Countess of Brecknock Hospice visit www.sueryder.org/spaces
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