“Bereavement is like a madness – like you’re on this ocean and you don’t know wide it is, how deep it is, you don’t know what direction you’re heading in” – Peter
Christmas can be such a difficult time for those who are missing someone special. Don’t feel like you have to do this alone. If you have lost a loved one to cancer or coronavirus, join us on Christmas Eve morning for an informal get together online with others who have had a similar loss.
Register for our Christmas Eve get together: Cancer Loss | Covid Loss
“Beyond sadness – painful physically and emotionally. The biggest shock with losing my mum from my experience was the instant change I felt in myself that I will never be the same person again. That was so profound in so many different ways – “I’ve lost my mum, I’m a mum, without a mum” – how on earth do I function?” – Ellie
2022 – What We’ve Achieved
2022 has been a busy year for The Loss Foundation. Just three years ago, we were running two support events per month. Over the course of 2022, we’ve run an average of 11. We hope these events have helped you (and we are still here for you when you need us – please see our calendar of upcoming events if you’re looking for further support).
We arranged our first retreat post pandemic (taking place in January 2023).
We continued to run our Connect service – matching people to like-minded others who have been through similar losses for 1-2-1 supportive conversations.
Five ‘In Memory Walks’ took place for people bereaved by cancer or Covid-19, bringing people together for in-person connection after 2-years of being entirely online. These walks took place in London, County Durham, West Wickham, Bristol, and Newcastle. In January more walks will take place in South Wales, Lincolnshire, and the Peak District.
“Going to The Loss Foundation meetings – no ones in the same boat, but they’re in a boat where you really can start to make comparisons” – John
Looking ahead, over the coming year we will be focused on:
Reaching and supporting more people, including a specific focus on hard-to-reach communities.
Training new volunteers to host in-person support events – many of whom have previously used our services.
Continuing to support hundreds of people per month with our remote online support, as well as growing our in-person support events across the country.
Launching a new website – to continue to provide effective information and support online.
“It’s not just me. I’m not the only one who’s been having these emotions go on for two and a half years now – that person feels it, and that person feels it, and that person feels it. And it made me understand that this is grief – this isn’t me – this is what happens when you go through a major bereavement” – Sue-Ellen
I am extremely proud of our small charity for being so responsive. Our volunteers give their time for free to provide a lifeline to those who are grieving and in need of support, and our small staff team work tirelessly to keep the organisation afloat. We do brilliantly with the small resources we have. But I know there are so many more people who need our help. When my Father died in 2008 there was no support for my family, and that remains the reality for many thousands of people across the country. I am committed to doing everything we can to change that so nobody in need of support has to hear the words “there’s nothing available where you live”.
Thousands of people like Angela are suffering without support
Can you help?
Angela’s partner Dawn died in October 2020. She found The Loss Foundation in April 2021. Soon, as a Loss Foundation volunteer, she’ll help others who’ve lost their loved ones.
Your donation today can help us continue to support people who’ve had a loved one die from cancer – people like Angela.
Thank you for your continued support.
We are always here for you.
With love,
Erin
Founder and Director of The Loss Foundation