CRUSE Bereavement Care – provides one to one counselling, bereavement support, therapeutic support groups and advice on practical matters. Interactive website provided for young people and access to email support.
National Helpline Tele: 0844 477 9400
Website: www.cruse.org.uk
CRUSE – Birmingham
Tel: 0121 687 8010
Website: www.cruse.org.uk/birmingham-area
Grandparents’ Association – Provides practical advice and support to grandparents affected by family deaths and estrangements.
Tel: 01279 428 040
Helpline: 0845 434 9585 (Monday-Friday 10.30am-3pm)
Website: www.grandparents-association.org.uk
Way Foundation – Provides a support network for those widowed up to the age of 50. Local contacts are available throughout the area, please contact the national office for details.
Tel: 0300 012 4929
Website: www.wayfoundation.org.uk
Age UK – Age Concern and Help the Aged have joined forces to become Age UK. They offer information, advice and support to older people
Tel: 0800 169 6565 (free national information line)
Website: www.ageuk.org.uk
Age UK – Birmingham – 0121 437 0479
Website: www.ageuk.org.uk/Birmingham
The Silverline – This is an organisation available for older people who are in need of support and can offer services such as:
- Offer information, friendship and advice
- Link callers to local groups and services
- Offer regular befriending calls
- Protect and support those who are suffering abuse and neglect
Tel: 0800 4 70 80 90
Bannersgate Counselling Centre – A generic counselling service. There is a registration fee of £10 followed by donations for each session.
Tel: 0121 354 6544
Website: www.bgcounselling.co.uk
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy – Provides information about local counselling organisations and individual counsellors who are accredited members.
Tel: 01455 883 300
Website: www.bacp.co.uk
SOBS (Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide) – Provides support for those bereaved by the suicide of a close relative or friend. Contact helpline for Local support groups.
Helpline: 0844 561 6855 (9am-9pm, 7 days a week)
Website: www.uk-sobs.org.uk
Birmingham Bereavement Advice
Tel: 0800 258 5950
Website: www.birminghambereavementadvice.co.uk
The Cancer Support Centre – St Giles Hospice
We are also located in Sutton Coldfield as follows:
St Giles Hospice
Lindridge Road
Sutton Coldfield
West Midlands
B75 6JB
Tel: 0121 378 6290
Are you a Carer?
The following is a list of local and national agencies / support groups who will be able to help you.
CERS – Emergency Services for Carers
Tel: 0121 442 2960
(website not yet available)
Carers UK Birmingham
Tel: 0121 354 4080
Our Place Community Hub
Farthing Lane, Sutton Coldfield B72 1RN
Open 9am-5pm –Monday to Wednesday
www.ourplacecommunityhub.org
Birmingham Carers Hub
Tel: 0121 448 7088
76-78 Boldmere Road, Sutton Coldfield B73 5JT
(Website not yet available)
Birmingham Carers Association
(Birmingham City Council)
Tel: 0121 454 5440
Tel: 07909 714 559
Tel: 07535 459 457
www.b-c-a.org.uk/
Walsall Carers Association
Tel: 01922 636 663
www.walsallcarers.org/
Carers UK (National helpline)
Tel: 0808 808 7 77
Open 10am-4pm-Monday to Friday
www.carersuk.org
Carers Direct HELPLINE
Tel: 0300 123 1053
Open 9am-8pm Monday to Friday / 11am-4pm weekends.
www.nhs.uk/carersdirect/
Birmingham Mental Health Carers Support
Tel: 0121 380 4949
(run by the STONHAM Group)
MIND – (National helpline)
Tel: 020 8519 2122
Mental Health Carers Support
www.mind.org.uk
Updated August 2014
Bereavement Support Directory
Information and advice for bereaved children
Childhood Bereavement Network
Tel: 020 7843 6000
Website: www.ncb.org.uk
Child Bereavement UK – provides support to grieving families through online interactive self-help discussion and signposting to other organisations both locally and nationally.
Tel: 01484 568 900
Website: www.childbereavement.org.uk
Grief Encounter
Grief Encounter’s grieftalk helpline is open 9am-9pm, Monday to Friday. This free service offers support to those who need a confidential space to chat and be heard. You can get in touch with grief talk in several ways:
Tel: 0808 802 0111
Instant webchat – through the top right-hand corner of their website: www.griefencounter.org.uk
By email – [email protected]
Winston’s Wish – helps support bereaved children and young people offering practical support to families and anyone helping to support a child affected by death. Excellent source for resources and information, the interactive website for children and young people is also very useful.
Tel: 0845 203 0405
Website: www.winstonswish.org.uk
Beyond the Horizon – Birmingham – Offer one to one support for children experiencing grief after death. Activity days for children, young people and families
Tel: 0121 430 7529
Website: www.beyondthehorizon.org.uk
Edward’s Trust – Birmingham – offers services support and counselling for children of school age who are bereaved of a parent, significant carer, sibling or friend and support and counselling for all affected by the death of a child.
Tel: 0121 454 1705
Website: www.edwardstrust.org.uk
Bereavement Books for Children
Badger’s Parting Gifts – by Susan Varley. This is a very highly recommended book from the Childhood Bereavement Trust, telling a story about Mr Badger dying, but leaving memories for his friends.
Other books available for children:
- Michael Rosen’s Sad Book – by Michael Rosen
- Beginnings and Endings with Lifetimes in-between – by Bryan Mellonie – Beautiful way to explain life and death to children
- Waterbugs and Dragonflies: by Doris Stickney -Explaining death to young children by Doris Stickney.
- When Dinosaurs Die: by Laurene Krasny Brown – A guide to understanding death (Dino Life Guides for Families).
- When Something Terrible Happens – by Marge Heegaard – children can learn to cope with grief (drawing out feelings)
Bereavement Support Directory
Information and advice for families following the death of a child
Lullaby Trust – Provides information and support for parents whose babies have died as a result of sudden infant death. Helpline and befriending network.
National helpline: 0808 802 6868 (10am-5pm Monday to Friday; 6pm-10pm Saturday, Sunday & bank holidays).
Website: www.lullabytrust.org.uk
CRY – Cardiac Risk in the Young – Help and support to families where there has been a sudden cardiac death of an apparently fit and healthy young person.
Tel: 01737 363 222
Website: www.c-r-y.org.uk
Miscarriage Association – Provides information, help and support for those suffering pregnancy loss.
Tel: 01924 200 799 (helpline Monday to Friday 9am-4pm)
Website: www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk
Child Death Helpline – The Child Death Helpline provides a listening service that offers emotional support to all those affected by the death of a child.
Tel: 0800 282 296 (helpline open 7pm-10pm every evening; 10am-1pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; 10am-4pm Wednesday)
Website: www.childdeathhelpline.org.uk.
The Compassionate Friends – Local contacts are available throughout the area – please contact the national office to obtain details. They offer support to bereaved parents and their families after the death of a child or children of any age. They also offer support and advice to other relatives, friends and professionals who are helping the family.
Tel: 0845 123 2304
Website: www.tcf.org.uk
SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society) – Offer support to bereaved parents, whose baby is stillborn or dies during or soon after birth. Contact the national office for details of local contacts.
Tel: 020 7436 5881 (9.30an-5.30pm, Monday to Friday)
Website: www.uk-sands.org
Child Bereavement UK – Provides support to families through online interactive self-help discussion. It is also a signposting service to other organisations both locally and nationally
Tel: 01494 568 900
Website: www.childbereavement.org.uk