St Nicholas Hospice Care offers psychological support to people in our care nearing the end of life, those struggling to cope with their loved one’s illness and specialist bereavement services for adults and children who live in West Suffolk and Thetford, no matter how they are bereaved.
Their bereavement service provides telephone support and advice, written information, and counselling.
Find out more about the hospice’s Psychological Services Team and support here.
St Nicholas Hospice Care’s Nicky’s Way supports young people between 5-18 years of age who have been bereaved through long-term illness, accidents, suicide and sudden death. Support is provided both individually and in groups in the community, in schools and at the hospice.
Nicky’s Way also supports parents and those caring for and supporting bereaved children. Referrals can be made by the Hospice, GPs, schools, school nurses or directly by a child or parent.
Bereavement Cafés
A drop-in session for those coping with bereavement. The Bereavement Café is a space where people can talk about the pain of loss and also find courage and strength in knowing they are not alone. Drop-in groups are available in Haverhill, Bury St Edmunds, Stowlangtoft and Thurston.
Stepping Forward
Walk and talk with a group of like-minded people and trained bereavement volunteers. The Stepping Forward walking groups is open to all who are bereaved and meets at 10am on the fourth Sunday of the month at the Ickworth Estate in Horringer.
No appointment is necessary – just turn up and enjoy the company. Be sure to have good footwear.
Peer Support Group
Meet with others, young and widowed, in a relaxed setting for a casual coffee and chat, supported by the Psychological Services Team. We meet weekly on Thursdays, 10-10.30am until midday, at St Nicholas Hospice Care, Hardwick Lane, Bury St Edmunds.
Suffolk InfoLink is an online directory of community information created by Suffolk County Council. It provides a platform for local clubs, societies, community and voluntary organisations, and public service providers to inform local communities about the support they offer.
You can share contact details of any of the directory entries with someone else by entering their mobile phone number and clicking ‘Send SMS’. The Short Message Service will send the contact details to their phone immediately.
We have listed links below to some of the bereavement support available on the directory, but encourage you to explore it further to find additional support that may help you to adjust to life after your loss:
- infolink.suffolk.gov.uk – More bereavement and social support groups
- infolink.suffolk.gov.uk – Cruse Bereavement Care A voluntary organisation that is non-religious and non-political. They offer free bereavement support to adults and specialist support to children and young people. Bereaved people can self-refer.
- infolink.suffolk.gov.uk – Children and bereavement provides information that could help if your child has lost a loved one or if a loved one is dying.
- infolink.suffolk.gov.uk – loneliness, befriending and social support groups
The Faith and Spirituality Network (Suffolk) is a small unincorporated charity set up to bridge the gap between those who describe themselves as religious and may belong to a faith community, and those who see themselves as having a spiritual dimension to their lives, whether or not they adhere to a particular religious tradition. Their website has information about support systems for bereavements and funerals within faith communities in Suffolk: