Only two weeks to go until Victim Support Scotland’s #HUSH project launches at Many Studios in Glasgow!
A free multimedia exhibition which tells the stories of families who have been bereaved by crime in Scotland.
Click here to read more:
Times are extremely hard for many now, especially those who have lost someone during the last two years.
The mental health of the bereaved has particularly suffered during these uncertain times, so a not-for-profit funeral director has launched Caledonia Funeral Aid which aims to provide an extra support system for recently bereaved people in Edinburgh.
Caledonia Funeral Aid is an extension of the work of Caledonia Cremation – a social enterprise funeral directors set up to fight funeral poverty by offering not-for-profit cremations.
Since their inception in 2018, they have been supporting Scots facing the additional stress of not being able to afford a funeral. During that time, the social enterprise found the support required wasn’t just financial, but practical and emotional too. So, they have extended their offer by launching Caledonia Funeral Aid.
Co-founder John Halliday explained: “We have learnt that just providing a not-for-profit funeral wasn’t enough – people needed more. By setting up Caledonia Funeral Aid– we will provide full emotional and practical support to the recently bereaved.
“We will provide a trained coach and funeral support worker to help Edinburgh residents who have experienced a bereavement in the past 6 months. This support will focus on their emotional needs. We will deeply listen to their needs and give them a safe and trusted place in which to discuss their loss and the impact on their lives.
“We are delighted to launch this initially in Edinburgh, thanks to funding from Edinburgh Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. However, our aim is to launch this nationwide very shortly.
“With the average cost of a basic funeral sitting at £4,000, we receive calls from many people, especially those experiencing in-work poverty or students, who just can’t afford that amount. They don’t qualify for financial help and have nowhere to turn. We never turn anyone away and through the fundraising efforts of Caledonia Funeral Aid we hope to extend our help to even more bereaved Scots nationwide.
“We accept donations through our website and our team are also doing all the Kiltwalk this year so anyone wo wants to help us support more bereaved Scots can find a way to do so online.”
Those wishing to access the support can call 03000 11 33 01.
The new year has got off to a bad start, and everyone has felt the negative effects of the recent restrictions caused by the rise of the Omicron variant. Plus the cost of basic household bills are rising. So, for those from low-income families who experience a bereavement, life must seem especially difficult.
So, a charity-owned funeral director has responded to the current Covid and cost of living crisis by offering pay-what-you can funerals for Lothian residents who have lost someone for the remainder of January.
2021 was a tough year for many. It also started with severe Covid restrictions which disproportionately affected low-income workers. Later in the year, it was announced that the £20 uplift in Universal Credit was to be removed, affecting over 450,000 Scottish households.
And this year, hard-up families face a rise in energy prices and inflation, leading to what has been described as “a cost-of-living crisis”. So, not surprisingly, 2022 may be looking very bleak for some Scottish families.
John Halliday, Co-Founder of Caledonia Cremation today announces a scheme to support bereaved people experiencing hardship this January: “Caledonia Cremation is not a traditional funeral director. When we launched in 2018, we became Scotland’s only social-enterprise funeral director. That means our first concern is people and not profits.
“I see all around that this pandemic has made rich people richer and poorer people poorer. I strongly feel it is up to society to do our bit now in helping those worst affected, however we can.
“People need better food, cheaper housing, catch-up education and help back into work. We can’t do all those things, but what we can do something about the cost of funerals.
“Sadly, it is a fact of life that everyone needs a funeral. But for some people their funeral is the most expensive purchase they ever make. The average cost of a basic funeral is over four thousand pounds.
“So, our contribution is this – we’ve decided to remove all our fees and just let bereaved families pay-what- you-can during this pandemic recovery period.
“There is no means testing, we trust people to know what they can and cannot afford.
“No one anywhere has ever done this before, so we are learning as we go.
“If someone wants to know the usual price, we can tell them. If generous people want to add more towards our fundraising to tackle the root causes of poverty, that is fantastic. But if all they can find to cover the funeral is a few hundred pounds, that’s absolutely fine too.
“No one should judge your worth based on the size of your savings.
“We hope everyone has a happy and healthy 2022, but if the unthinkable happens, then please know you are not alone – we are here and will do everything we can to support you throughout your loss.”
TOMORROW at 4pm
BLUE CHRISTMAS SERVICE
A time to offer solace to those who have experienced the loss of a loved one and are grieving or have mixed emotions about the festive season.
At the start of National Grief Awareness Week, Cruse Bereavement Support and the Royal College of GPs are announcing an exciting new partnership to strengthen bereavement support and understanding of grief for people across the UK.
In an important step for UK healthcare, the partnership aims to highlight just how impactful grief can be on a person’s physical and mental health.
New research released today by Cruse, shows that over three-quarters of adults in Britain (78%) have never spoken to a GP about a bereavement*.
With this staggering figure in mind, Cruse and the RCGP are making clear to people who may need additional support after experiencing a bereavement, whether recent or in the past, that they can connect with their GP practice team.
This will give GP teams the opportunity to identify people who may need additional support from bereavement services as well as offering information and advice on support available.
With support from a grant of more than £574,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund the largest funder of community activity in the UK, this campaign will supply GPs nationwide with a toolkit supporting them to provide consistent and compassionate support for grieving patients.
The toolkit also provides information and products for patients and healthcare staff – including an animation on the new partnership, a patient poster for all GP surgeries on bereavement and grief and a VBA (very brief advice) card for practice staff.
Sadly, nearly everyone will be affected by bereavement at some point in their life and it is vital that the right support is available and known for people who need it.
This exciting initiative delivered by Cruse Bereavement Support in partnership with The RCGP, is a big step toward ensuring healthcare groups and bereavement support charities are working in partnership to provide the best bereavement support for grieving people.
Steven Wibberley, Chief Executive of Cruse Bereavement Support comments: “Understanding grief and how it can affect your health is the first step towards getting the support you need – and GPs and practice teams can play a really important role in helping grieving people with this.
“That’s why we are so pleased to be collaborating with the RCGP in this important campaign to bridge the gap between healthcare and bereavement support. It’s our hope that this partnership will also ensure all grieving people, especially those who may feel alone and unsure of where to get help, are able to access the right support when they so desperately need it.”
Dr Catherine Millington-Sanders, Clinical Lead for Palliative and End of Life Care for the Royal College of General Practitioners comments: “After a bereavement, it’s natural to want and ask for support. Many people find support from their friends, family or community networks but others may be really struggling with their grief and find more formal support helpful.
“GP practices are a valued and important source of information, support and advice in our communities. This work between the RCGP and Cruse aims to equip GP practice teams with the tools to help identify people with bereavement needs and accessible information to sign-post people to appropriate bereavement support, ensuring the bereaved person is at the centre of every step.”
At the start of Children’s Grief Awareness Week, Barnardo’s is releasing resources for teachers to help children cope with bereavement.
Before Covid-19, official stats showed one in 29 five-16 year olds had been bereaved of a parent or sibling – that’s at least one child in every average class.
With more than 165,000 deaths from Covid-19 in the UK (deaths with Covid-19 on the death certificate), Barnardo’s says many more children and young people will be experiencing bereavement.
Black people and men of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage are almost twice as likely to die from Covid-19 as White people, meaning children from these communities are more likely to experience loss.
The free resources about grief are available on the Barnardo’s Education Community (BEC) website (https://www.educators-barnardos.org.uk/).
They include an introductory worksheet which explores what grief is and a volcano-making activity that focuses on how grief impacts us.
They also include some suggestions and advice about how to cope and who children can talk to when going back to school after someone special has died.
Also in the resources are some coping techniques teachers can tell children about to use when times are difficult, exercises to help ground children and regulate their breathing.
The resources will also be posted throughout Children’s Grief Awareness Week (November 18 to 24) on the Barnardo’s Education Community Twitter page (@BarnardosEduCom).
Barnardo’s Interim Co-CEO Michelle Lee-Izu said: “Sadly the raw feelings of grief and loss will be familiar to thousands of children and families across the UK, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Children have suffered a huge amount of loss in the last year. For most this has meant missing out on school and playing with their friends, but for too many children it has meant the loss of parents, grandparents and members of their family or community.
“I hope that teachers who are discussing the issue of grief with their pupils during Children’s Grief Awareness Week will find our tips and resources useful – and that they will be used to assist schools and colleges to support children who are struggling in the future.”
THURSDAY 11 NOVEMBER 5 – 7pm
DRYLAW PARISH CHURCH, GROATHILL ROAD NORTH
FUTURE SERVICES:
DRYLAW PARISH CHURCH
Sunday 7th November 1 – 3pm
Thursday 11th November 5 – 7pm
ALL WELCOME
Local charity, Held In Our Hearts, will again be hosting their popular FireWalk event on 4th December at Edinburgh Leisure’s Craiglockhart Tennis Centre.
The FireWalk will be a chance for locals to take part in a once in a lifetime challenge, daring to be different, and walking over hot coals to raise much-needed funds for the charity’s work supporting parents whose babies have tragically died.
Tracy Watt, Held In Our Hearts Fundraising Manager, said: “We know the journey that the parents we support is daunting and often it is the fear of the unknown that can be very frightening for them; by taking on this challenge, we want to stand in solidarity with bereaved parents across the city and beyond, to walk together with them.
“We hope that this event will appeal to many of the families that we support, as well as many of our supporters, who want to dare to be different and experience such a unique event, while raising much needed funds for our baby loss counselling and support.”
Rupert Seggins, who took part in the FireWalk last time for the charity said: “This is truly an experience like no other – bare feet, burning coals and incredible support from a team that have put hundreds of people through their paces.
“I had such a great time overcoming my nerves and stepping out to do something I didn’t think was possible for me. And all to help the wonderful Held in Our Hearts! What’s not to love?”
Held In Our Hearts FireWalk will be run by UK Firewalk, one of the UK’s leading experts who specialise in corporate and charity firewalking and glass walking events.
The UK FireWalk team will ensure the safety of every participant and viewer involved through the presence of official safety experts.
DRYLAW PARISH CHURCH
Sunday 7th November 1 – 3pm
Thursday 11th November 5 – 7pm
