Compassionate Space
Online Bereavement Peer Support Group
A safe space to share, support, listen and feel less alone in our grief.
Compassionate Sheffield and Space to Breathe are working together to deliver a new peer support group for bereaved people in Sheffield. There’ll be 6 sessions, taking place on Thursday evenings, each week, beginning on October 24th and ending on November 28th between 6:30 -7:45pm. This group is free to access and is being delivered in collaboration with Compassionate Sheffield and Space to Breathe.
The group will be facilitated by Cally Bowman (She/Her), a member of the Compassionate Sheffield team and a Therapeutic Counsellor and Andy Freeman (He/Him), Director of Space to Breathe and an Emotional Wellbeing Worker. The group will offer a space for peer support, where people can share their experiences and learn from and support one another through bereavement. There'll be some gentle invitational questions, prompts and suggested activities during and between sessions. While the group offers a supportive and therapeutic space, this is not a formal counselling or therapy group.
Following the programme of six, weekly sessions, there’ll be a monthly, informal, drop-in session, where participants are invited to drop in virtually for a cuppa and a catch up with each other. This space will offer the opportunity for conversation and ongoing connection, friendship and peer support.
Who can join this bereavement support group?
The support group has been created for bereaved adults who live in Sheffield. Spaces are limited to 8 people, to ensure the group size is a supportive one. Anyone interested in joining, will be invited to answer some short questions in order to submit their interest in being a part of the group - the form is linked at the end of this page.
Individuals will then be invited to book an initial, informal assessment with one of the group facilitators. This will be an opportunity to learn more about you, including how we can keep you safe, and explore together if this group feels like a good fit for you and the type of support that you might benefit from accessing right now. We ask that anyone interested in joining the group is able to commit to all 6 dates, and that they will be able to join the Zoom sessions from a private and safe space. Places will not be offered on a first come first served basis, but once the 8 spaces have been filled, applications to join the group will close.
What if I am unable to join right now?
We are hoping to be able to deliver these sessions again in the future. So, if you are unable to join at this time, for any reason, but would like to be kept informed about future opportunities - there are two ways that you can do so. You may find it helpful to join Compassionate Sheffield’s mailing list. Compassionate Sheffield shares approximately monthly updates about city wide support, events and opportunities relating to bereavement, grief, and death. You can sign up to join this mailing list on our "Contact" page.
Alternatively, you can follow us on social media to stay updated about opportunities to get involved or access support and events.
Instagram: Compassionate Sheffield Instagram page | Space to Breathe Instagram page
Twitter: Compassionate Sheffield Twitter/ X page | Space to Breathe Twitter/ X page
Facebook: Compassionate Sheffield Facebook page | Space to Breathe Facebook page
What will be expected of me if I join?
We know that joining a new group and sharing emotional and important parts of ourselves, our lives, and our loss, can feel vulnerable, but we hope to create a space where the group can feel safe with and support each other. If at any point you feel you need to leave, that’s okay too.
As a group member - you’ll be expected to participate as an important part of the group, simply by speaking, sharing and listening to fellow group member’s experiences and reflections. However, everything is invitational, and you’ll only be asked to share as much or as little as you feel comfortable with throughout. There’s no pressure, and we hope to create a virtual space that feels safe.
All members are asked to respect one another, allow for differences of experience and opinion, listen generously and respect confidentiality within the group. To support this, group members will be invited to collaborate together in the first session to create a shared group agreement, to ensure everyone feels safe, welcome and supported throughout the six weeks and beyond.
What if I am unable to commit to the full 6 sessions?
To enable the group to gain the most from this supportive space over quite a short amount of time, it’s important that the group maintains a consistent presence of members, to support the building of a safe space and supportive peer relationships.
There'll also be some questions, gentle activities and prompts that will flow from one week to the next. So, we ask for all members to commit to attending all 6 sessions for this reason.
We understand that life happens, and if a person is unwell or their plans change and a session cannot be made, that’s okay, the facilitators simply ask that you let them know if you are unable to attend one evening for any reason.
If you don’t feel it will be possible to join for the 6 sessions, then this group may not be right for you.
Any Questions?
If you are unsure about whether or not this group will be right for you, and would like more information and an informal discussion about what to expect, please contact Cally to organise a telephone call or Zoom meeting.
Cally's email address is c.bowman@hospicesheffield.co.uk
Would you like to register your interest in joining the support group?
If you’d like to be a part of this new peer support group, starting on October 24th, please fill in the application form by answering the questions in the google form linked below.
(Your information will be stored according to GDPR and as outlined in Compassionate Sheffield’s privacy policy and Space to Breathe's Privacy Policy).