Weldmar’s monthly Bereavement Cafe to begin at Sturminster Newton’s Vale Family Hub

A new monthly drop in support session for anyone experiencing bereavement is starting this May in Sturminster Newton, run by the Patient and Family Support Services team at Weldmar Hospicecare.

Everyone is welcome to visit the Vale Family Hub whether they have a connection with Weldmar or not, with the first session on Monday 11th May from 10am until midday.

It follows the charity’s bereavement drop in at Waffle in Lyme Regis, which began last September and continues to provide support for people in the town.

Jenny Wood is Weldmar’s Patient and Family Support Lead, and says: “It’s informal and social peer support. We’re not going to make anyone sit and talk about their grief – it’s very much led by those who attend. Where we’ve run this in Lyme Regis, we’ve found that sometimes people share their experiences and sometimes they don’t. It’s more about knowing that you’re with people who can relate to your own journey, and there’s comfort in that.

Jenny says that the bereavement drop ins provide the chance for people in more rural areas of Dorset to access support like this: “We’ve found that most of those who’ve attended in Lyme don’t have that connection to Weldmar, the loved one they have lost wasn’t in our care, which shows the local need for the drop in.”

The sessions, which will continue on the second Monday of every month, are free to attend and you can just drop in. The Vale Family Hub is offering a cup of tea or coffee and a cake for £2.50 for those who attend.

Our thanks to the Vale Family Hub for their support – they can be found at 22B Butts Pond, Sturminster Newton, DT10 1AZ.