Cruse Bereavement Support

About the service and what to expect 

Cruse Bereavement Support offer support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies. Cruse bereavement support have been helping people who are struggling with grief and bereavement for over 60 years. They have grown a network which includes over 4000 volunteers, and responded to national disasters and tragedies. They continue to adapt to meet the needs of those who are grieving in a changing world.

When you contact Cruse you will be invited to attend an Understanding Your Bereavement session. The aim of this session is to ensure you have access to information about grief and, if needed, the support you can access through Cruse. At this Understanding Your Bereavement session you will also be given other information including the Impact of Bereavement and What Happens Next to take away with you.  

The referrals team will discuss the session with you and how to book when you first contact Cruse. 
 

Confidential one-to-one support

If one-to-one support is the best way of meeting your needs, a trained Bereavement Volunteer will be in contact. You can be seen privately at one of the offices or at a suitable alternative venue. Home visits are currently on hold . However these can be arranged in exceptional circumstances, please discuss with a member of the Cruse team

Each session is by appointment and usually lasts 60 minutes. You see the same Bereavement Volunteer every week for up to six weeks but are under no obligation to continue and can stop at any time.

If you are under 16, your first meeting will take place with a parent or guardian present because parental consent is obligatory. After that, sessions can be on a one-to-one basis if you prefer.
 

Drop-in service

Cruse offer a weekly drop-in service in Brighton where you can talk to someone privately as well as join a group facilitated by trained volunteers. No appointment is necessary for the drop-in session, which is free and completely confidential. Some people find groups invaluable whilst others use them as a bridge while they are waiting for one-to-one support.
 

Children and Young People’s ‘Hope Again’ website 

A dedicated website called Hope Again is available, where young people can learn from each other how to cope with grief and feel less alone. 

Here you will find information about Cruse Bereavement Support’s services, a listening ear from other young people, advice for any young person dealing with the loss of a loved one, families stories and parental/ guardian advice.

Further Information

For more information and to discuss accessing support from Cruse please call 0808 196 1768 to speak to a member of our Central Access Point team. Alternatively, if you would prefer, you can arrange a callback.