National healthcare and bereavement charity Sue Ryder is looking for volunteers to support two new Grief Kind Spaces opening in St Ives and Huntingdon over the next two months.

Grief Kind Spaces are weekly, in-person drop-in sessions that provide a safe, informal, and supportive place for people to come together and share their experiences of grief, helping attendees to feel heard and less alone.

The sessions are run out in the community with the help of trained volunteers such as Russell Thompson, from Cambridge, who has been supporting the Sue Ryder Grief Kind Space Girton since it launched in May.

Russell Thompson is a Grief Kind Space volunteer.Russell Thompson is a Grief Kind Space volunteer. (Image: Sue Ryder)

Russell said: “I saw on Sue Ryder’s social media that they were looking for Grief Kind Space volunteers, so I got in touch and found out about the space in Girton which is close to where I live.

“I have lost both my parents in the last four years and have suffered from PSTD and found through both experiences that the best way to cope is to talk and to have a space where you can do that.

“People can’t always speak to friends and family so having a group of volunteers and other people who might be going through the same as you is important.

"Some people who attend want to talk about their grief and others want to talk about anything and everything because after a loved one has died people can feel very lost."

Once launched, the new Grief Kind Space in St Ives will be held at Morrisons, Needingworth Road, each Friday from 10am-midday and in Huntingdon at Dobbies Garden Centre Café every Monday from 10am - midday.  

Laura Venning, Sue Ryder Grief Kind Space area coordinator is delighted to be opening more Grief Kind Spaces in Cambridgeshire. She said: “It’s incredible to be involved in the ongoing rollout of our Grief Kind Spaces which provide vital support to residents who are living with bereavement.

“The connections being made and the opportunities for people open up about their experiences means that fewer people are having to live alone with their grief.

“You don't need to have experience or have done anything like this before – full training will be provided. You just need to be over 18 years old and have a few hours to share. If this sounds like something you would like to be involved in, I would encourage you to get in touch”

To find out more about becoming a Grief Kind Space volunteer visit sueryder.org/GKVolunteer or email GriefKindSpaces@sueryder.org