THE Hospice of the Good Shepherd in Backford has received a £19k grant for a project to help support the bereaved.

The funding boost of £19,052 means the hospice can now facilitate peer-support through 'Bereavement Help Points' in West Cheshire.

The money has been awarded through a grant programme funded by Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire Freemasons through the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) and managed by Hospice UK, the national charity for hospice and palliative care.

Bereavement Help Points will be volunteer-led peer support drop-in sessions, open to anyone who is bereaved or is supporting someone who is bereaved.

The Bereavement Help Points will be a safe and welcoming space where bereaved people can meet to support each other, as well as obtain information on bereavement and support. The first Help Points open in Chester and Ellesmere Port in November 2019, with subsequent sessions planned in Blacon and Malpas in January 2020.

Further Help Points will then be developed across the region, according to the need of the community.

The grant will also cover the launch of social media accounts for the West Cheshire Bereavement Service, hosted by the Hospice of the Good Shepherd, as another source of bereavement information and support for those dealing with the death of a loved one.

Following a region-wide survey in December 2018, the service identified that swift, local access to bereavement support was a key priority, and that opportunities to be around others in the same situation were particularly in demand.

Eleanor Warman, senior counsellor from West Cheshire Bereavement Services, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this grant, which will enable us to enhance the support available for bereaved people of all ages across West Cheshire, and also support for their families.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for the community to support each other, and for those grieving the loss of a loved one to be reassured they are not alone.”

The Help Point model is being adopted by hospices across the country, and because it lends itself to a variety of settings, it can also be undertaken and delivered by established organisations and groups, with training and support from the hospice.

To find out more about Bereavement Help Points and how to attend, volunteer or deliver a new one, contact Eleanor Warman or the West Cheshire Bereavement Service at hospiceofthegoodshepherd.com or email bereavement@hospicegs.com.

Hospices have an important role in supporting people’s families. A total of 49,000 people in the UK received bereavement support from hospices in 2017-18.