NHS bereavement support project for Cumbrians

An NHS project has been launched to train people in north Cumbria to support those going through bereavement.

It comes as Dying Matters Week begins (2-6 May).

The Let’s Talk Bereavement Project is funded by NHS Charities Together ,which is the charity that Captain Sir Tom Moore raised money for during lockdown.

The collaborative project will help people in north Cumbria access bereavement support.

It will also offering training to people, groups and organisations to increase confidence in how we talk about death, and support the development of compassionate communities.

Karen Dutton, project lead from Cumbria Learning and Improvement Collaborative (CLIC) said: "It can be very difficult to know what to say or do when someone you know has lost someone close. We often want to offer support.

"However, it can be hard to know what to say for fear of saying the wrong thing.

"Then we find ourselves saying nothing, saying something careless without meaning to, or even avoiding the person.

"There is a lot of support on offer and we have pulled all of that information together to make it easier for people to find.

"We are offering free training for staff and volunteers working in organisations and community groups in North Cumbria.

"The first wave of training aims to increase understanding of grief and provide tools/resources to enable people to have confidence to talk about death and effectively support the bereaved.

"Later in the year we will also be offering half day specialised skills training."

Dying Matters week runs from 2-6 May and encourages people to have open conversations with their family and friends about death.

This comes after funerals were different through the pandemic due to restrictions.