1 Bereavement café – Northern Ireland hospice

<h3></h3> Northern Ireland Hospice bereavement café aims to connect local people together to support each other through grief. Historically our hospice bereavement support could only be provided to families, carers who had previously accessed the hospice’s services. This support included face to face and group work sessions. The Covid-19 pandemic brought the issue of grief and loss into sharp focus, with many bereaved people not having the opportunity to mourn the death of a loved one with their social support networks. In response to this it was identified that there needed to be greater access to bereavement support for the local community. Started in May 2023, the café provides a drop-in service one evening a month, offering a safe space aimed at helping those coping with the loss of a loved one. This informal service has provided an opportunity to encourage local people and communities to support each other through their grief and loss. The café is designed to be a supportive environment for conversation, reflection or just being there to listen to other stories and experiences, and through encouraging peer to peer support. Attendees may have been through a recent bereavement or may have lost someone a while ago and just want to connect with others who are grieving. All sessions are overseen by the hospice social work team who assist with refreshments and are able to offer further advice or guidance if required. Our Bereavement café has provided support for over 200 people since opening its doors to the local community. Feedback from attendees has been positive, with many developing friendships and sharing resources. With the focus on a community led initiative, a training programme has been developed with the vision to recruit and train bereavement café volunteers.