A NATIONAL bereavement charity is preparing for an unprecedented surge in demand for its online bereavement support services this January, as it encourages people in the West Midlands to be Grief Kind for the year ahead.
Considering the 146 per cent increase in the number of visits to Sue Ryder’s online bereavement services between January 2022 and January 2023, the charity anticipates that there will be over 273,000 visits to these services this month.
This includes those signing up to Sue Ryder’s online bereavement community and bereavement counselling support or accessing resources and information on the charity’s website.
Additional research commissioned by Sue Ryder reveals that over half of people in the West Midlands who have experienced a close bereavement agree that January is one of the most challenging months to grieve.
Bianca Neumann, Head of Bereavement at Sue Ryder, said: “These statistics show the escalating demand for our bereavement support services, and the vital role we play in providing accessible bereavement services to ensure people can access the right support for them, at the right time.
“January can be an extremely difficult time of year for those who have been bereaved and in fact, our research revealed that around a third of people in the West Midlands stress the need for greater awareness around checking in with friends and family during this month.”
Tracy Capewell is champing the campaign after using the online bereavement services after her dad died suddenly.
She said: “When my dad passed away it was very hard for me to try and resume normal life.
“I had only been in my job for six months and nobody wants to be the person sitting at work crying.
“Often you don’t know how you are going to feel day-to-day. There is an assumption that everyone has their family around them to help but some people are quite isolated.
“When I saw Sue Ryder’s Grief Kind campaign, it just spoke to me, particularly the fact that there is a lot of support and content for people supporting somebody who has been bereaved, helping them to get that deeper understanding.
Visit sueryder.org/griefkind for more information.
