Bereavement, Death and Dying
Bereavement
People who have lost someone close to them are often so busy with practical details and arrangements that they do not experience the full sense of their loss until later. Grieving is a natural and important part of coming to terms with and healing this loss and it may continue for several months.
Please do not feel that you are alone in your grief - there are many organisations and individuals who can offer comfort and support as long as it is required. The clergy and pastoral team will offer help and advice, if asked.
St Anne’s and Holy Trinity hold joint bereavement services throughout the year, including a Blue Christmas service in December. No matter when or where the person you loved died, you are welcome to attend any of the Bereavement services.
Death and Dying
One of the roles of the church and the vicar is to support people coming to terms with dying, both in practical and spiritual matters. If you would like to plan a funeral or speak to someone about death or dying, please contact the vicar. There are resources below as well that people may find helpful
USEFUL WEBSITES IN THE UK
Sources of support and information on specific issues. Be aware when contacting UK organisations of different practical steps to be taken that there may be regional differences across the UK
Age UK
Age UK has useful information about making a will and a Lifebook, where you record the practical details of your life and where you keep certain documents. You can order a printed copy of the book on 0845 685 1061 and quote reference ALL 721 , or email for an electronic copy.
www.ageuk.org.uk/home-and-care/home-safety-and-security/lifebook
Bereavement UK
Bereavement UK is a national organisation that offers information about death, dying, bereavement, funerals and self-help counselling.
Bereavement Advice Centre
The Bereavement Advice Centre supports and advises people on what they need to do after a death.
Centre for Death and Society
The Centre for Death and Society is hosted at Bath University and is UK’s only centre devoted to the study and research of social aspects of death, dying and bereavement.
Child Bereavement UK
Child Bereavement UK offers families the support they need to rebuild their lives, when a child grieves or when a child dies.
Christian Legacy
The website offers information about leaving legacies and writing wills.
Church of England
The Church of England funerals website offers information about funerals and planning a funeral service.
www.churchofenglandfunerals.org
Community Funeral Society
Community Funeral Society is a co-operative movement in the UK. It aims for a new model of funeral services that are developed and supported from within a community.
www.communityfunerals.org.uk/what-is-a-cfs/
Compassionate Communities
Compassionate Communities has stories, short films and other information relating to end of life care issues.
www.compassionatecommunities.org.uk
Connect2Charity
Connect2Charity is a website showing most charities on the Isle of Man and their services as well as providing a way to support Manx charities.
Conversations for Life
Conversations for Life encourages conversation about death and dying.
www.conversationsforlife.co.uk
CRUSE
Cruse Bereavement Care provides information and support services for bereaved people.
https://www.cruse.org.uk/
Death Café
Death Café encourages people around the world to plan events to encourage discussions about death. The website offers practical advice and resources for planning a death café.
Dying Matters
The Dying Matters Coalition is hosted by the National Council of Palliative Care. The Dying Matters website has a wide range of resources to help people start conversations about dying, death and bereavement, which include leaflets, posters, postcards, event planning packs and short films.
End of Life Care for All
The National End of Life Care Programme has developed a public access e-learning resource, designed to enhance the training and education of all those involved in delivering end of life care.
www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/end-of-life-care
Hospice
Local Hospices providing specialist palliative health care provider, offering advice and care for those at the end of life include: St Teresa's Hospice and Herriot Hospice Care. You can find more information about Hospice care and hospices s in your local area at https://www.hospiceuk.org/
Darlington & District Hospice Movement,
The Woodlands|Woodland Road Darlington
DL3 7UA United Kingdom 01325 254321
http://www.darlingtonhospice.org.uk
Herriot Hospice 14 Market Place Thirsk YO7 1LB United Kingdom 01609 777413
http://www.herriothh.org.uk
British Government
The Civil Registry provides services and practical information about what to do when someone dies.
https://www.gov.uk/when-someone-dies
Macmillan Learn Zone
Macmillan Cancer Support provides a learning zone to find out more about helping yourself or others.
Marie Curie Cancer Care
Marie Curie Cancer Care has a variety of resources that include leaflets, booklets and short film guides about looking after someone at home when they are dying.
Open to Hope
An online forum to support people living with loss and give them an opportunity to share their stories.
Samaritans
The Samaritans provide a confidential telephone service offering to people with worries the support to work them through.
0300 30 300 36 (local call charges apply)
116 123 (this number is free to call)
https://www.samaritans.org/
WAY
https://www.widowedandyoung.org.uk/
WAY is a UK charity that offers a peer-to-peer support network for anyone who's lost a partner before their 51st birthday – married or not, with or without children, inclusive of sexual orientation, gender, race and religion.
Winston’s Wish
Winston’s Wish offers practical support and guidance for bereaved children, their families and professionals.
BOOKS
Mike Riddell (2010)
Sacred Journey: Spiritual Wisdom for Times of Transition (SPCK)
Sue Brayne (2010)
The D-Word: Talking about Dying (Continuum)
Jeremy Brooks (2013)
Heaven’s Morning Breaks (Kevin Mayhew)
Ruth Burgess (2013)
Saying Goodbye: Resources for Funerals, Scattering Ashes and Remembering (Wild Goose)
Marie De Hennezel (1998)
Intimate Death: How the Dying Teach Us to Live (Sphere)
James Woodward (2005)
Befriending Death (SPCK)
City of Gold: Impressions of Heaven (1997)
CD and book featuring the words of Adrian Plass, John Bunyan, C.S. Lewis,J. John and others (Gold Records)