Support following a bereavement or upsetting event | Latest News

It is normal to feel grief and other emotions when you have been bereaved, or for an upsetting event to impact our normal levels of happiness and resilience. However, if you continue to experience some of these negative effects which do not seem to be improving, there are a range of sources of support for both adults and children. Below are some of the places which can offer you support.

Helpful organisations providing support and information around coping with bereavement and dealing with grief:

• Cruse has a bereavement helpline and can provide information on dealing with grief.
• The Bereavement Advice Centre supports and advises people on what they need to do after a death. They welcome calls from bereaved people and the professionals and volunteers who support them.
• At a Loss helps bereaved people receive the support that they need.
• The NHS has information, advice and support for people experiencing grief from bereavement or loss.
• Sue Ryder offers information, advice, resources and an online bereavement community to help you cope with the practical and emotional aspects of grief.
• Child Bereavement UK offers advice, support and a helpline for families who are grieving the loss of a baby or child of any age
• Sudden has helpful advice online for the immediate aftermath of a bereavement/

For children and young people:

• Winston’s Wish is a national charity that help grieving children.
• Jigsaw4u offer bereavement support for children and young people in the London boroughs of Merton and Sutton.
• After the Event has a leaflet for parents about supporting children after a frightening event.
• Kooth offers an online support service for children aged 11-25. Their website is kooth.com
• The Anna Freud Centre has a useful resource, My Self Care Plan, which walks young people through a series of steps, helping them create a detailed self-care plan that works for them. 
• Off the Record offer free counselling and mental health support to children and young people in Croydon, Merton and Sutton.
• Childline offers general emotional support.

Mental health support

NHS Talking Therapies

Talking Therapies can help with common problems like stress, anxiety and depression. Help is available in person, by video, over the phone or as an online course. You can refer yourself directly without a referral from a GP, or a GP can refer you. You do not need to have a diagnosed mental health problem to refer yourself to an NHS Talking Therapies service by filling in a simple form online.

Click on the borough you live in to find out more and ask for help online quickly and easily. 

• Richmond - more information and request help
• Merton - more information and request help
• Wandsworth - more information and request help
• Sutton - more information and request help
• Kingston - more information and request help

Other organisations who can help you include:

• Anxiety Canada offers resources and programmes to help people better understand and manage anxiety
• Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI) offers self-help worksheets for a variety of mental health problems
• How to get up and Go When You Are Feeling Low is a booklet to help children think about what helps them when they feel upset or stressed
• Shout! is a free, confidential, 24/7 text support service for anyone in who is struggling to cope.                           

NHS Recovery Cafés

NHS Recovery Cafés are a walk-in out of hours mental health support service which you don’t need a referral or an appointment for. The cafés offer a safe and welcoming space for all adults living in south west London who are struggling with their mental health or feel at risk of going into a crisis.

• South West London Recovery Cafe- Tooting - 966 Garratt Lane, London SW17 0ND. Email: recoverycafe@hestia.orgor call 07794 394 920 

• Sunshine Recovery Café- Wimbledon - 296a Kingston Rd, London SW20 8LX. Email: info@sunshinerecoverycafe.org or call 07908 436 617
• Journey Recovery Hub- Twickenham - 32 Hampton Road, London TW2 5QB. Email: recoveryhub@rbmind.orgor call 020 3137 9755
• Journey Recovery Hub- Kingston - Alfriston Centre, 3 Berrylands Road, London KT5 8RB. Email: recoveryhub@rbmind.org or call 020 3137 9755
• Sutton Crisis Café- Sutton - 63 Downs Road, Belmont, Sutton, SM2 5NR. Email: admin@smfh.org.uk or call 020 8770 0172 (please ring ahead before you turn up).

24/7 Mental Health Crisis Line

The 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Line - 0800 028 8000 - is there if you’re experiencing a mental health crisis and need urgent help. It is open to everyone: both children and adults of all ages, and to people who haven’t previously accessed mental health services. The crisis line’s team of trained NHS mental health professionals will help you to get the care and support you need.