Support Groups & Helplines
Practical Steps for Emotional Support
| Organisation | Phone Number | What They Offer |
|---|---|---|
| Cruse Bereavement Support | 0808 808 1677 cruse.org.uk | The UK's main bereavement charity. Offers a free helpline, webchat, and local one-to-one or group support. |
| SAIFCare | 0800 917 7224 saifcare.org.uk | UK-wide bereavement support service from SAIF funeral directors. Provides free, confidential helpline, email and webchat support from professional bereavement counsellors, Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm. |
| National Bereavement Service | 0800 0246 121 thenbs.org | Free helpline providing practical guidance and emotional support. |
| Marie Curie | 0800 090 2309 (Support Line) mariecurie.org.uk | Free support line and telephone bereavement service that matches individuals with a trained volunteer. |
| Sue Ryder | (Online Resources) sueryder.org | Provides extensive online resources, an online community forum, and text-based grief support. |
| NHS Talking Therapies | (Self-referral) Find NHS talking therapies | Free NHS service for mental health support, including CBT. Self-referral is available online without needing a GP. |
Finding Local and Peer Support
Often, the most profound comfort comes from speaking to others who have been through a similar loss. Academic research identifies this as appraisal support. It is a way to understand and validate personal feelings by seeing them reflected in like-others. It is the powerful, healing feeling of they just get it.
The following organisations are run by bereaved people and are designed to connect individuals with the right support, often local to them.
- The Good Grief Trust: Run by bereaved people, for bereaved people. Their mission is to bring all UK bereavement services under one umbrella. Website: thegoodgrieftrust.org. General enquiries: hello@thegoodgrieftrust.org. Their Find Support section signposts national helplines, local services, stories and videos to offer comfort and hope.
- AtaLoss (At a Loss): This is the UK's main signposting website for the bereaved. Website: ataloss.org. General enquiries: office@ataloss.org. It does not provide direct bereavement support, but its search tools help people find local support, helplines, and services tailored to their type of loss, age, and location.