National Map of Grief and Bereavement Cafes

Welcome to our National Map of Grief and Bereavement Cafés.

These cafes are a friendly, welcoming place to offer an umbrella of support in local communities and raise awareness of the breadth of help available to those grieving across the country.

We know that by bringing the bereaved together for a cup of coffee and cake, in a relaxed space, it can help those affected by a loss to feel less alone and isolated and can encourage new connections and friendships in the local area.

We want to thank all Cafe hosts, health professionals, and volunteers involved in developing and facilitating these Cafes.

 

 

To find a Cafe near you, please enter your postcode in the search bar.

Requests to add a new Cafe to our map should be submitted

via email: Hello@nullthegoodgrieftrust.org - thankyou

 

      Our Good Grief Cafe in Bradford, with Ambassador Dr Amir Khan

      Thankyou to all our Good Grief Cafe hosts, past and present

      Nicky

      Thankyou to Nicky, who was one our longest serving volunteer Cafe hosts;

      Nicky says; I lost my Mum on 8th December 2020. As an only child of a single mother, the loss is immense. My Mum and I were extremely close and shared a unique bond.

      Georgia

      Thankyou to Georgia for co-hosting our young person LGBTQ+ cafes and also the Good Grief young person cafes.

      This is Georgia's story;

      I started volunteering for the Good Grief Trust a year ago after losing my brother suddenly in 2019. In the firstfew months after my brother passed, I found grief isolating and overwhelming and wanted to talk to other people who were my age and who had been in a similar position.

      Carol

      We thank Carol for her continued support, co-hosting our Moving Forward Cafe every Sunday evening.

      Our Loss through Addiction Cafe is no longer running, so please see specialist charities such as https://adfam.org.uk/ for support.

      This is Carol's story;

      My husband, Miles, died at the age of 50 in May 2019. Nothing prepared me for the shock of his sudden death; it had been caused by his addiction to alcohol. He was in total denial that he had a problem right up until the day he was admitted to hospital. He died just six days later.

      Liz & Tony

      Thank you to Liz and Tony for establishing this popular Cafe in Cornwall.

      Here is Liz and Tony's story;

      My husband Luke was diagnosed with a brain tumour in October 2016, just a few months after we had moved back to Cornwall. It was a glioblastoma, which is considered a terminal diagnosis because of the aggressive nature of the tumour. Luke had the tumour removed in October 2016, underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy but the tumour returned in September 2018. Luke’s dying process and death was traumatic as we watched him lose his abilities; his memory, his speech, his mobility and everything that made him the man we knew. He died aged 46, dying at home as was his wish, after a brief spell in a hospice to try and manage his pain. But he died in a way he never wanted, without dignity and without choice and this continues to be a painful experience for those who watched him die.

      Rach

      Thank you to Rach for working as our wonderful volunteer for over 2 years, running our LGBTQ Cafes. Unfortunately, these Cafes are no longer running, but we hope to reinstate them in the future.
      For further information on bereavement support for the LGBTQ community, please see https://www.cruse.org.uk/understanding-grief/grief-experiences/grief-in-the-lgbtqia-community/.

      Here is Rach's store;

      My wife Kris, died at the end of November 2019, we had been together for 13 years had two kids, two dogs a lovely home and a life that was tough at times but great and I am so grateful for every minute, hour, week, month, and year we had together both good and bad.

      Najeeba

      Thank you to Najeeba for helping to establish our Parent Cafe.
      Here is Najeeba's story.

      Hi, my name is Najeeba and I sadly lost my dad to COVID last April 2020. At the same I was struggling with PND and had a 12 week old baby to take care of in lockdown. I couldn't be with my dad when he was sick or when he passed, I couldn't go to the funeral and couldn't even hug my mum and this all had a profound impact on me, but then having to carry on taking care of a tiny baby 24/7 when my whole world fell apart was a living nightmare. Nobody understood how it felt and I felt so alone.

      Pat

      Thank you to Pat for working as a co-host and dedicated volunteer for over 2 years, helping to run our LGBTQ Cafes. Unfortunately, these Cafes are no longer running, but we hope to reinstate them in the future.
      For support and information for those in the LGBTQ community please see https://www.cruse.org.uk/understanding-grief/grief-experiences/grief-in-the-lgbtqia-community/.

      This is Pat's story;

      When my partner Mike died suddenly and unexpectedly, my world changed beyond anything I could have imagined. I can only describe it as like a bomb went off in my head. Mike went on holiday to Mexico and died in the sea. First I heard he was missing so I flew out there to look for him.

      The Good Grief Trust launched the first Pop Up Cafes in 2018. Here are some of our venues:

      London
      Venue: Mercato Metropolitano - Italian Market.
      Bognor Regis
      Café run by My Sister’s House, the only women’s centre in West Sussex.
      Harrogate
      Venue: OPTION V - Vegetarian and vegan restaurant.
      Isle of Wight

      Venue:

      • God's Providence House - Newport
      • Green Room - Ventor
      • Drop-in Community Café - Freshwater
      • Monkton Arts and Lounge Coffee Bar - Ryde
      • St Mary's Hospital - Newport

      We held our first Pop Up Cafe at this fabulous central London Italian indoor outdoor market. Over 20 people came along, with and without their children who were at all different stages of their grief.  We ate cake, dunked delicious Italian biscotti and even made pasta together in a brilliant Cookery Class.

      It was a relaxed few hours spent in the company of others who 'get it'. The warmth, understanding and empathy everyone had for each other was just really lovely to be part of.