From the editor: Last year I took part in the Great River Race as part of the Four Feisty Females team. We had chosen Cruse Bereavement as our cause and between us raised around £1500. As readers have followed our journey up the Thames, we thought it would be good to tell you more about this amazing charity.
Cruse Bereavement support helps people through one of the most painful times in life – with bereavement support, information and campaigning. Cruse is the UK’s leading bereavement charity, here to make sure that everyone grieving gets the support they need, when they need it.
Surrey North Branch covers the four Boroughs of Spelthorne, Runnymede, Woking and Elmbridge but we also take clients who are out of our area. In an average year we support 450 clients.
Support can be by phone or zoom or at our recently refurbished Chertsey client room and is up to six weekly one hour sessions. We also support children in school.
Surrey North has 59 volunteers who provide support to our clients, 12 supervisors and 7 others who make up our referral team/assessors/admin and Chair. All volunteers have to complete a Bereavement Support Foundation course which lasts for 10 weeks and attend monthly supervision groups. All are expected to complete at least 15 hours of CPD per year. Expectation is to stay at least two years. We have a wealth of experience in Branch with some volunteers with over 35 years service.
Some feedback received from clients:
My volunteer was so lovely, supportive, and easy to open up to. She gave me info and tools to use going forward. Cruse has been amazing.
Absolutely brilliant, R completely understood the grief process and how I was feeling. It was good to talk.
Each stage of contact was a chance for me to improve
To access our support call 01932 571177 and leave contact details, you will receive a call back within 48 hours.
For 2023-24 our income target is £68,000. We try to meet this target from client donations, fundraising activities including sponsored activities eg abseil, skydive, walks and informal local events eg quiz night, cake sales and “Cuppa for Cruse”. Sunbury WI have supported us this year by holding a garden party and race night. We were also lucky to have 4 Feisty Ladies from Sunbury Skiff and Punting Club complete a sponsored row of over 21 miles raising, £1,619.25 for our funds.
We have a grant from NHS Surrey Heartlands , and we bid for grants from Local Authorities, Local Authority Councillors allowances and Crematoria donations from recycling metal. We apply for local stores reward schemes and have been lucky with Co-Op and OneStop.
You can support us by donating on our crowd funder, open until 28th December , https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/surrey-nor or by online donation to cruse.org.uk/contribute and mention Surrey North.
Shepperton Aurora Rotary have also supported us for specific items eg resource packs for working with the children and young people.
A Bereavement Support Foundation course is run annually which usually gives us 12 new volunteers.
If you think this is something you would like to do please contact surreynorth@cruse.org.uk and register your interest.