One to One Support

Bereavement support can be provided on a one to one basis, in a group basis or online.

Grief can be

Here is a list of organisations able to support you on a one to one basis. For group support, click here

St Helena bereavement support

We offer bereavement support to all those who have been bereaved in north and mid Essex, regardless of the cause of death or when or where the individual has died. 

Our bereavement support includes one-to-one counselling and support, based on an assessment of your needs. We have an experienced team of specialist bereavement volunteers and counsellors able to provide this support. At present, one to one support is provided face to face or via telephone.

Phone: 01206 984 274

Age Well East

We advise and provide practical information, connecting communities to tackle loneliness and encourage mental and physical wellness. We offer support to people in later years experiencing emotional challenges, such as caring for someone at the end of their life or living through bereavement, and we support people and their carers through a dementia diagnosis. 

The one-to-one service is bereavement support but is not a counselling service. A volunteer will be matched with a client to provide a listening ear to talk about the persons grief. Very often, a conversation normalising the client’s grief is part of the call and supporting people in their bereavement.

Phone: 0300 373 3333

Petals

Petals is the baby loss counselling charity. Petals provides free counselling to bereaved parents following the loss of a pregnancy or baby, including miscarriage, stillbirth, termination for medical reasons and neonatal loss.  The vision is that every parent in the UK has easy and timely access to specialist counselling following baby loss.

Counselling support can be requested by asking a maternity bereavement professional to complete a referral form at the website.

Phone: 0300 6880068

Email: [email protected]

Victim Support Suffolk and North East Essex Bereaved by Suicide Service

The Bereaved by Suicide Service in Suffolk* and North East Essex operates across the county, delivering support to those who have been bereaved or affected by suicide.  Our support is tailored to you. We can help in a variety of ways. This includes informing you of your rights and the next steps. This may be assisting with the funeral or the inquest, or at work/study. 

We can help by listening to you, and validating your feelings. We also help you to reflect and explore ways to cope after a traumatic incident. And we can connect you with other services who may be able to support you, for example counselling.  We provide support to adults as well as children from the age of 4 upwards.  The service is free and confidential and is here for you when you need it.

Phone: 01473 322683

Email: [email protected]

Ending Life’s Taboo

Ending Life’s Taboo offers rapid access to counselling to adults up to 45 years old who are life limited (whatever the illness). The charity may also support family/carer members when appropriate. The service is open to those living in East Suffolk and North East Foundation Trust areas (CO and IP postal codes). Counselling can be accessed at Colchester Hospital, Cancer Wellbeing Centre and Ipswich Hospital, John Le Vay Centre.  Counselling is also available as inpatients, home visits, by telephone and on-line; sessions and regularity of appointments are totally client led.

The counselling service is for people with a terminal illness as well as their family members who are experiencing anticipatory grief. 

Referrals may be made by self-referral, healthcare professionals (primary, seconday and hospices), by charities unable to offer rapid access to counselling to those meeting our criteria (18 to 45 years old / have a life limiting illness / receiving palliative care/life expectancy 2 years or less). 

The service is generally on a one to one basis.  Counselling is available at the Colchester Hospital and Ipswich Hospital.  Sessions are available as an inpatient, outpatient, on-line, by telephone or at home.  Family/carers can also be supported by ELT.

Phone: 07710628913

Email: [email protected]

Child Bereavement UK

Child Bereavement UK helps families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies. We support children and young people (up to the age of 25) when someone important to them has died or is not expected to live, and parents and the wider family when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying.

We offer free, confidential bereavement support for individuals, couples, children, young people, and families, by telephone, video or instant messenger, wherever you live in the UK.

Phone: 0800 02 888 40

Email: [email protected]

Coffin Club Colchester

Coffin Club Colchester (CCC) helps people to reclaim a participatory relationship with death. 

We can provide 1:1 (non-financial) support to individuals struggling to pay for a loved one’s funeral who are in or at risk of funeral poverty.

Coffin Club Colchester is able to support and advise individuals or families considering a family-run or DIY funeral service for their loved one.  We can provide low carbon footprint/eco-friendly (flat packed) coffins for decorating and can liaise with our trusted funeral providers for any bespoke services e.g. storage, transport etc.

Coffin Club Colchester is for the elderly, terminally ill and their carer’s or anyone interested in working through their funeral wish-list and/or assembling/personalising their own coffin (optional) https://coffinclubcolchester.co.uk/contact/

Phone: 07840 117242

Email: [email protected]

Support After Murder and Manslaughter

SAMM provides a wide range of peer support services to people bereaved by murder and manslaughter. There is no time limit on becoming a member. Our services are open to everyone regardless of how long ago they were bereaved. We support close relatives, family members., friends etc.

Our unique support services have been designed by the bereaved for the bereaved. All volunteers receive bespoke training and have been bereaved through homicide themselves. They have a unique understanding of what it’s like to be traumatically bereaved.

Our trained peer support volunteers provide one-to-one peer support by phone, they have a unique understanding of what it’s like to be traumatically bereaved. The support is completely confidential.  The support we offer comes with flexibility and is offered at a time that’s right for you. 

Phone: 0121 472 2912  Mobile: 07342 888570

Email: [email protected]