Bereavement Support

Reading Family Information Service

Bereavement effects everyone in different ways, listed below are just some of the organisations that can offer information and support through this difficult period of your life.

At the end of this listing there is information on how to register a death, arranging a funeral, help with funeral costs and the Tell Us Once Service.

 

Next review date January 2025

What support is available for parents?

The Compassionate Friends –is an organisation of bereaved parents and their families offering understanding, support and encouragement to others after the death of a child or children. They also offer support, advice and information to other relatives, friends and professionals who are helping the family.

The Child Death Helpline is a helpline for anyone affected by the death of a child of any age, from pre-birth to adult, under any circumstances, however recently or long ago. Free-phone: 0800 282 986

Willow Support Group The Willows Support Group is made up of a group of parents in the Reading area, who have all lost babies at various stages.

The NHS have pages on their website dedicated to bereavement support: -Grief After Bereavement or Loss ~ Losing Your Partner or Child in Pregnancy

Rainbow Specialist Clinic  A ‘Rainbow pregnancy’ is a pregnancy after the loss of a baby through late miscarriage, stillbirth, or an early neonatal death.

What support is available for children experiencing bereavement?

Daisy's Dream - supports children and their families both facing and following bereavement throughout Berkshire and the surrounding areas.

Winstons Wish - a charity which supports bereaved children and young people.

Hopeagain is a website designed for young people by young people. It is part of Cruse Bereavement Care's Youth Involvement Project, to support young people after the death of someone close.

Grief Encounter - When a child’s parent or significant loved one dies, their lives change forever.  As well as the sadness they feel, they are often left confused and full of fear and anxiety. Grief Encounter helps families address difficult issues such as death and help make sense of the hurt and confusion.

Child Bereavement UK - offer free, confidential bereavement support for individuals, couples, children, young people, and families, by telephone, video or instant messenger, wherever you live in the UK. Also offer face-to-face support from a number of locations.

The NHS have pages on their website dedicated to bereavement support. Children and Bereavement

What support is available for everyone?

Much Loved - online memorials and tributes for loved ones who have died. 

Cruse - a national charity, which helps people cope after someone close to them has died, exists to promote the well-being of bereaved people and to enable anyone bereaved by death to understand their grief and cope with their loss. Services are free. The charity provides support and offers information, advice, education and training services.

Samaritans Reading - The Samaritans of Reading, 59A  Cholmeley Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 3NB.  Facilities for visitors with disabilities, phone for details. Usual hours open to receive callers at the door: 09:00 - 22:00 seven days a week (not open for visitors during covid-19 lockdown). A 24 hour national help line service is available 365 days a year Tel: 116 123 (free from any phone), 0330 0945717 (charged as local call) 

Dying Matters is a coalition of 30,000 members across England and Wales which aims to help people talk more openly about dying, death and bereavement, and to make plans for the end of life.

What support is available for professionals?

The Childhood Bereavement Network is a national, multi-professional federation of organisations and individuals working with bereaved children and young people. They believe that all children have the right to information, guidance and support to enable them to manage the impact of death on their lives.

How do you register a death?

Registering a death usually takes place in the local authority where the death took place. For more details on the procedure in the Reading Borough area please use the following link to the main RBC website. Registering a death

Reading registry office can also help you access the Tell Us Once Service. For details of what information you will need to give the service and which organisations they will contact on your behalf. Tell Us Once Service

You can also find details of crematorium and grave yard costs, contact details for local funeral directors etc. Reading Crematorium and Cemeteries

For an explanation of when a coroner might become involved, and the process this takes. Please view the section on the RBC website. Coroners

There is useful information on the UK Government website giving practical advice www.gov.uk/when-someone-dies

How to register a death if it is outside the area you live, or overseas? Please use the following link. www.gov.uk/register-a-death

You may be eligible to Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) if your husband, spouse or civil partner has died on or after 6th April 2017, this has replaced new claims to Bereavement Benefits BB. The following link has more information. www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment

There may be some financial help with funeral costs depending on your personal circumstances.  www.gov.uk/funeral-payments

For practical independent funeral advice and information about natural burial sites, contact the Natural Death Centre www.naturaldeath.org.uk

Page last reviewed: 14/03/2024

Contact the Team

Family Information Service

fis@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2

SEND Local Offer

localoffer@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2

Adult & Carers Support

CSAAdvice.Signposting@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3747 0118 937 3747
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