The Beth Johnson Foundation Bereavement Friendship Project offers free 1:1 telephone befriending and group social support opportunities for people aged 50+ living in Stoke-on-Trent or North Staffordshire. We can offer help with information on coping with both the emotional and practical aspects of losing a relative or friend; a chance to chat to trained volunteers; and an opportunity to meet others in a similar situation.

Grief has no time limit - When someone close dies we may grieve for them for a very long time. Even when we think we have finished with grieving something may remind us of our loss and bring back feelings of grief. We recognise that grief has no time limit and we welcome people to our group regardless of how long ago the bereavement took place.

It’s good to talk - Our telephone befriending service offers a chance to chat to trained volunteers who can provide a listening ear and emotional support, helping you to re-connect and build up the confidence to join our groups.

A telephone befriender is a trained volunteer who will call you on a regular basis at the times we have agreed with you. Our befrienders do not provide a counselling service, but they are good listeners. They will talk to you about your bereavement and whatever is on your mind. This can help relieve feelings of loneliness and isolation. We will also explore options for you to join in our social groups to share support with others affected by bereavement.

Share emotional support, talk about your experiences, access useful information - The Bereavement Friendship Groups are developed on the basis of peer support, and create a social space where people are able to support each other. Our community groups meet once a month, or you can join our weekly online group using you computer, tablet or smart phone.

Trained staff and volunteers will welcome people joining the groups and can provide tech support if needed to help access our online meetings.

Please contact us for more details.