A new charity initiative, launching in partnership with national palliative and bereavement charity, Sue Ryder, will support people who are grieving in our city, providing a safe place for people to talk about their loss.
The sessions will run from our Community Club here at AMT Headingley Stadium on Tuesday afternoons between 2:30pm and 4:30pm, starting on Tuesday 23rd April.
The new Sue Ryder Grief Kind Space will be the third to open in Leeds and comes following the success of other Grief Kind Spaces already established in the city.
Leeds Rhinos legend, Jamie Peacock, is supporting this initiative as an Ambassador for Sue Ryder’s Leeds-based hospice, Wheatfields, which cared for his father since 2019, raising thousands of pounds for the charity.
Jamie said, “Sue Ryder will always have a special place in my family’s heart because of the expert and compassionate care they were able to give my dad, and the time with Dad that they gave to me and my family before he passed away.
“My grief at that time was pretty challenging,” Jamie adds. “Time does heal – the intensity of the emotions gets less, and you learn to move on and cope with things in a better way. But the sadness will always be with you.
“For me, it’s about remembering the good times, remembering what that person brought to you and understanding that while you’re sad at the time, over time that will become less and you’ll become more and more focused on the positive memories.”
In support of the campaign, he is encouraging anyone over the age of 18, who is experiencing grief, to come along and access this service.
Run as a drop-in, people can attend for the full two hours or drop in for ten minutes or less to come together with others in a safe and informal place supported by trained Sue Ryder volunteers, helping them share their experience to feel heard and less alone.
Health Manager here at the Foundation, Ben Berry, added: “We are delighted to be partnering up with Sue Ryder, a fellow charity providing safe spaces for people throughout our city.
“Here at the Foundation, we believe that no one should suffer in silence, no matter their situation, and through this partnership, we will do our part in tackling these issues and breaking down barriers for people to open up about their loss.
“We are really happy to be adding this service to our ever-growing list of opportunities and programmes available to those who need them.
“A massive thank you to those at Sue Ryder for giving us this support and to Jamie Peacock for backing this campaign.”
For details of further Sue Ryder Grief Kind Spaces opening in 2024 visit www.sueryder.org/spaces.
To find out more about becoming a Grief Kind Space volunteer visit sueryder.org/GKVolunteer or email GriefKindSpaces@sueryder.org.
Sue Ryder Grief Kind Spaces is not a counselling service. Anyone seeking more formal support can use Sue Ryder’s existing Online Bereavement Counselling Service and other support services by clicking HERE.
To find out more about our existing health programmes, please contact health@leedsrhinosfoundation.org.