How we can support

How Cruse helps bereaved people

We offer emotional support, help and information in a number

of ways:
Telephone helpline Information
One-to-one support
Local support group meetings

Cruse Bereavement Care is the leading national charity providing

bereavement support services in England, Wales and Northern
Ireland. We provide advice, information and support
to anyone who has been bereaved (children, young people and
adults) whenever and however the death has occurred.

Our aim is to provide a safe, confidential environment, in which

bereaved people can share their experiences and feelings thus
giving and gaining support from each other.
For more information or details on any of our services please
contact us.
Feedback
We aim to provide a service of the highest quality and welcome
your comments and suggestions.
If there is anything you would like to say about your local group
or the work of Cruse Bereavement Care in general, please talk to
your bereavement volunteer. Alternatively, you may contact our
offices at email bexleyandbromley@cruse.org.uk.
We also operate a formal complaints policy, the details of which
are available on request.

Cruse offers face-to-face, telephone, email and website support.

We have a national helpline and local services throughout England,
Wales and Northern Ireland. We also have a website and
free-phone helpline specifically for children and young people.
Our services are provided by trained volunteers and are confidential
and free.
Local contact details
Cruse Bereavement Care, Bexley and Bromley
Queen Marys Hospital, B Block,
Frognal Avenue, Sidcup DA14 6LT
Tel: 020 8 304 5245
E-mail bexleyandbromley@cruse.org.uk
You can find out more about
Cruse Bereavement Care and its services online at
www.cruse.org.uk
Cruse National Helpline 0844 477 9400
Cruse young people's website www.RD4U.org.uk
Cruse Young people's free-phone helpline 0808 808 1677
Other Agencies
Samaritans
National Helpline: 08457 90 90 90
www.samaritans.org
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide
National Helpline: 0300 111 5065
www.uk-sobs.org.uk
Email: sobs.support@hotmail.com
The Compassionate Friends
14 New King Street, Deptford, London SE8 3HS
National UK Helpline: 0845 123 2304
www.tcf.org.uk
Email: info@tcf.org.uk

Registered charity: 208078

A company limited by guarantee no 638709 (London)
Registered office: Unit 0.1 One Victoria Villas, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 2GW
Patron: Her Majesty the Queen. Working towards equality and diversity.
Published September 2014

Bereavement Support
in Bexley and Bromley

Somewhere to turn
when someone dies

There is only one thing worse than

speaking ill of the dead and that is
not speaking of the dead at all
The death of someone close can be shattering. Everyone
experiences grief differently; there is no normal or right way
to grieve. How we react will be influenced by many different
things, including our age and personality, our cultural
background and religious beliefs, our previous experiences of
bereavement, our circumstances and how we cope with loss.

Support in Bexley and Bromley

One-to-one support
We offer appointments with our trained volunteers to talk
through how your bereavement is affecting you. These
appointments usually take place at our main office at Queen
Marys Hospital, Sidcup but are sometimes at Holy
Trinity Convent, Bromley or Mencap
offices, Bexleyheath if these
venues are more
convenient.

Cruse is a national charity that provides advice, information

and support to anyone who has been bereaved, whenever or
however the death occurred. The service is provided by trained,
experienced volunteers and is confidential and free.
Cruse has been in Bexley since 1984 and in Bromley since 2011,
and provides free bereavement support to anyone living in the
area, irrespective of age, race, gender, culture, religion,
ethnicity and disability.
Our Bereavement Volunteers who provide this support service
receive rigorous and demanding bereavement training. In
accordance with best practice, every volunteer is allocated to a
trained supervisor so that quality of performance is regularly
monitored and expertise enhanced. Volunteers continually
receive in-house training, elements of which are
obligatory such as Child Protection
Procedures, and this training
ensures provision of a
quality service.

Bereaved by suicide group

A monthly bereaved by suicide group offering support to those
bereaved by suicide.
Parents support group
A monthly parents support group offers support to bereaved
parents and carers after the death of a child.
Information evenings
Throughout the year, we host a number of information
evenings for bereaved people, the evening provides information
about the support offered by Cruse Bexley and Bromley, and to
help you to understand your grief.
Become a Friend of Cruse
You can help us by becoming a 'Friend of Cruse' and donating a
small amount of money each year to support our vital work. By
giving a small regular contribution per year your support will
allow us to plan for the future and continue to deliver
bereavement services to those who need them.

Supporting Older People in Bexley and Bromley

We offer support for older people in our community through
our 'Forevermore' project, by providing a range of bereavement
services for people over the age of 60; those living in retirement homes and/or sheltered accommodation; and provides
information and training to the carers of older people.

Children and Young People Support in Bexley and Bromley

Pre-bereavement support
In addition to our bereavement support services, we are able
to provide pre-bereavement support for those who need help
coming to terms with an expected death.
Telephone support and home visits
For those unable through illness or disability to come into our
office, we offer support from trained volunteers over the
telephone and have a limited number of home visits available.
Friendship group
Our experience is that, through formal contact with others
who have shared the experience of bereavement, new and
lasting friendships develop and this informal support
network becomes a powerful force for good,
we host a weekly friendship group at
United Reformed Church,
Geddes Place, Bexleyheath.

We offer support for children and young people aged between

4 to 18. All our volunteers are specifically trained in working
with children and young people, and can see the young person
in their home or at other settings. We are able to work on a
one-to-one basis, with siblings or the whole family as
appropriate (usually with a different volunteer for each
member of the family). For group support we work closely with
The Candle Project at St. Christophers Hospice, Sydenham.
Supporting schools in Bexley and Bromley
Professionals in schools have a unique role in helping grieving
children and young people, as children spend a significant
amount of time in school. We can offer support and training to
school staff supporting bereaved students.