Galway groups highlight importance of bereavement supports

Grief Awareness Week runs until February 1

GALWAY charities are highlighting the importance of bereavement support services in a bid to mark the National Grief Awareness Week which runs until February 1.

Reporting a total of 442 bereavement support services delivered in Galway last year, Galway Hospice Foundation is reaffirming its commitment to support individuals, families and children as they navigate loss.

Grief is a natural and deeply personal response to the death of someone close. While many people are supported by family and friends, others need additional care and understanding.

National Grief Awareness Week, led by the Irish Hospice Foundation, encourages greater openness, compassion and awareness around grief.

Bereavement support including individual counselling, group support, telephone support, family meetings and remembrance services, is a core part of holistic palliative care at Galway Hospice and are delivered by the Medical Social Work Team.

Community-based initiatives such as Walk & Talk and the Bereavement Café are also helping people find a mutual support, understanding and connection in a safe and informal environment.

Galway Hospice reports that attendance at Walk & Talk initiatives increased by 46 per cent in 2024. Participants consistently describe the programme as a source of comfort, relief and hope.

The charity also provides specialist bereavement support for children, young people and families.

Meanwhile, another charity that supports bereaved parents, Anam Cara is urging people in Galway to reach out for support.

It offers information, resources, practical advice and peer support sessions for parents after bereavement.

CEO Michelle Reynolds said: “At Anam Cara, we know that the death of a child changes everything in a parent’s world.

“The grief is lifelong and deeply individual, and it can feel very isolating, especially when those around them don’t fully understand the depth of that loss.”

Stressing that storytelling can have a powerful cultural role to play in how we understand grief, she said that films like Hamnet, have opened a door for people to have difficult conversations.

“As a society, we often don’t know how to respond to child loss. Hamnet reminds us how important it is to speak a child’s name, to acknowledge their life, and to create space where parents can express their grief,” she added.