It’s a “merci” from me

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Rows of purple, blue, red and yellow umbrellas covering a walkway

I want to start this post by saying a HUGE thank you to you – yes you! Thanks to all our amazing supporters, Let’s Talk About Loss has recently raised £1,347 – smashing my ambitious target of £1000! Thank you so much to everyone who generously supported our crowdfunding project, and watch this space for more news about all the exciting plans I have in place for how the money is going to improve and grow the work of Let’s Talk About Loss.

Image result for thank you pusheen

Below I’ve started to explain a little about my priorities at the moment, so do read on if you’d like to find out more!

The importance of understanding

In a world of conflict and mistrust, it’s worth remembering that we are all human, and have more that unites us than makes us different. But sometimes, it is hard to understand those around us. Perhaps their circumstances have never affected us, their background is not the same as ours, or their outlook on life is unique. It is often the case with those who have been bereaved that others find it hard to understand exactly what has happened, and can therefore make misjudgements and mistakes. There are two ways that I want to use Let’s Talk About Loss to combat this issue:

1 – Let’s Talk About Loss meet-ups

On Saturday 10 March 2018, we held the first meet-up for Let’s Talk About Loss. It was a great success – with young people sharing their experiences in a safe space to others who had been bereaved. The thing that struck me the most was how many people were nodding along, laughing at things only the bereaved would understand – like my anger at one specific Mothers Day promotion that said ‘our mother is better than yours’ – and saying “yes I can relate to that”, “I totally understand that”, “I feel the same”.

How fantastic is it that Let’s Talk About Loss is already helping young people in Nottingham to see that they are not alone and isolated in their bereavement, but can meet with other young people and talk openly and honestly about how they feel. I am very proud to be one of those young people, breaking down the barriers in society by talking about my mental health battles and the struggles of grief. Keep your eyes peeled – there will be another meet-up soon!

2 – Helping others to understand the issues

Alongside the meet-ups which help those who have been bereaved, I think it’s really important to assist those who haven’t been bereaved in understanding the grieving process, to better equip them to support their friends and family members when the unthinkable happens.

For this to happen, I need your help! If you support Let’s Talk About Loss but haven’t been bereaved yourself, what sort of content might you find helpful? What do you struggle with when it comes to bereavement – is it what to say? Is it how long to wait until you treat someone normally again? Is it how to approach anniversaries?

I want to help us all talk about loss better, whether we’ve experienced loss or not. I’ll be writing posts specifically aimed towards those people who may know someone who has been bereaved, encouraging them in how to respond appropriately and sensitively.

Together, we can talk through the taboos. Get in touch today to shape the future of Let’s Talk About Loss and suggest how we can work together to make the conversation around grief easier.

Love, Beth x