St Helens Council national grief awareness week 2021

Last year we participated in NGAW, and this year wanted to grow with the experience and idea to support families more. It also seemed to lend itself with this year’s theme of spread some warmth.

We therefore collaborated with St Helens libraries and the friends of St Helens Cemetery Group, to support this year’s event and agreed to hold 12 warm connections support cafes at each library at different times throughout the week, with one also hosted on an evening at the crematorium to support the bereaved.

The bereavement services team and volunteers from the Friends group attended some of the café’s where they could.

The council also lit the Steve Prescott Bridge orange in solidarity on the final evening, to join many other buildings nationally.

This event was a success and attended by some professionals who support the bereaved, the bereaved both recently bereaved and from two years ago. A group who met at one of the cafes have already met up again at the library in January and arranged another meet up for February, to provide support to each other.

The annual Tree of Remembrance Service also took place during this time and supported 80 people in attendance. It was nice to finally be back together for the tenth annual service.

Sonia Smith Bereavement Services Manager - Place Services

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