St Christopher’s Bereavement Service – Lewisham

St Christopher’s Bereavement Service – Lewisham

Bereavement support for individuals aged 18 and over, living in Lewisham or registered with a Lewisham GP, available in person, online, or by telephone

Contacting St Christopher’s Bereavement Service – Lewisham

How to refer

Bereavement support: how it works

One-to-one bereavement support

One-to-one bereavement support is an opportunity to talk about the consequences of your loss, in confidence, with someone who will be able to listen to your experience of grief. They can help you think through any changes you may need to make and find a way to a new life that includes remembering the person who has died in the way that you want.

Every loss is a very personal experience and no two people experience loss in the same way. Many people find that it helps to talk with someone who is not part of their family or close circle of friends.

Sometimes people find that at first they do not want support but then later change their mind. If this happens to you, please contact us.

The Bereavement Support Volunteers bring a variety of experience to their work for the hospice. They are carefully selected and follow a comprehensive training programme, which includes learning about bereavement and the effect that loss can have on our lives. Their work is regularly supervised by experienced staff.

We mostly work in a time-limited way as we find this to be most effective. The Bereavement Support Volunteer will initially meet with you for about an hour. At the end of this first meeting you will normally decide together to meet up to ten times. The support will end at that point. However, you are welcome to contact us again three months later should you wish to have further support. You may be able to see the same Bereavement Support Volunteer again, depending on availability.

Group support: Learning from Loss

Learning from loss is a seven week programme for those wanting to talk about their grief and share experiences of loss.

It is facilitated by two of our bereavement team. Each week a different topic is covered and the session runs for 1 1/2 hours.

Groups run during the day or in the evening and there are around 8-10 people in a group.

The purpose of the group is to explore

  • who is there for you.
  • what helps you cope with your loss.
  • your identity.
  • memories, meanings and memorials.

The groups are for adults of any age and are open to all regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or disability.

Anyone regardless of the relationship to the deceased or how the person has died can attend.

Face to face groups are created on a bespoke basis and take place at one of our St Christopher’s sites: Sydenham, Deptford or Orpington.

Contact us and a member of our bereavement team will conduct a bereavement needs assessment to make sure that a bereavement support group is the most appropriate source of support for you.

The assessment would include taking your GP’s contact details.

Everything said will be confidential within the service with the exception of where the facilitators feel someone is at risk.

Members are asked to adhere to a confidentiality agreement at the start of the group.

Bereavement support for children

Children grieve too. Usually parents and carers are best placed to help their children. We can help you to support them in their bereavement.

St Christopher’s Children and Young People’s Bereavement Service (known as Candle) offers specific counselling support for children who are bereaved. Call 0208 768 4533 or email candle.bereavement@stchristophers.org.uk

How much does St Christopher’s bereavement support cost?

Our bereavement support is free. St Christopher’s is a registered charity and relies on gifts and donations to carry out its work. Because of people’s generosity it is possible to offer bereavement support free of charge to everyone who needs it. We receive only a third of our budget from the NHS. We do not expect donations but any contributions you might like to make will be gratefully received. Every donation, large or small, helps us to make a difference.

Where is the service offered?

Support is offered at our Lewisham site and online or via telephone.

Emergency support

We do not provide emergency help. If you need help in an emergency, we suggest you contact your GP or go to Accident and Emergency at your local hospital or call your local mental health crisis line.

Alternatively you could call:

  • Solidarity in a Crisis – out of hours crisis line: 0300 123 1922 or text 0788 9756 087/0788 9756 083 
  • The Samaritans: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year: 0845 790 9090
  • SELDOC out of hours GP service: 020 8693 9066
  • SANEline: 0845 767 8000
  • Or search our comprehensive bereavement resources below.

Bereavement guidance

The leaflet Bereavement: help and support during your grief has been compiled to cover some of the things you may have been experiencing during your bereavement and lists some information and resources you may find helpful.

The booklet Supporting you after a death contains guidance on what to do after a death, advice on preparing and paying for the funeral, resources and information.

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