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Cruse Bereavement Care has been established in Bexley since 1984 and is the only charity supporting all bereaved people, free of charge, in our community. We offer support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when a loved one dies. Cruse offers face-to-face, group, telephone, email and website support. Our services are provided by our trained local volunteers and are confidential and free. - There are 1,847 deaths in the Bexley Borough each year, - 85% of these deaths are people aged over 65; - 16% of Bexley residents are aged 65 or over (which is higher than the Greater London average of 12%) and the number is rising. With a borough that has a higher than average ageing population, we want to create a 'bereavement support group' and a 'walk and talk' group specifically for older people in our community who have lost a life long partner, friend, child or sibling. For older people it is recognised that bereavement may have a special poignancy. It can occur when they feel least able to deal with the life-changing impact that the death of a lifelong partner, friend, sibling or child can have. A death can trigger the memory of a series of losses experienced over a lifetime, such as death of parents and friends; and it can come at a time when previously reliable support systems have weakened/disappeared. We see an increase in the number of referrals during holiday seasons and winter months, our clients tell us they feel lonelier and dread the seemingly endless weeks ahead with their families and friends away on holiday. Our group work brings people together with others who have experienced something similar - it takes away the feelings of loneliness and isolation, so often felt by older people. In the safe space of our groups, older people can build friendships, discuss ways of coping and help them see a future. We spend time remembering the people who have died and finding ways to keep those memories. We spend time exploring difficult feelings, how to express them and how to manage them – most importantly that such feelings are normal. Mixed in with all the therapeutic work are fun activities that allow the clients to simply relax and have a cup of tea! Our trained volunteers will facilitate the support bereavement support groups and provide support to improve health, reduce loneliness and have fewer GP visits. It is well documented that exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve mental health, it relieves stress, improves memory, helps sleep and boosts overall mood, through our 'walk and talk' groups we aim to helps those, particularly older men and others who would not always access therapy / attend a talking support group.

We offer bereavement support to older people and their carers in our community, to transform depression, loneliness and isolation into smiles and happy memories. This is a really important issue in our local area. 85% of the deaths in the Bexley borough each year are in the over 65 age group. 16% of our local residents are aged 65 or over, which is higher than the Greater London average of 12% and the number is rising. It's expected that there will be an increase in the overall number of older people, particularly those aged 85 and over. Older people often feel least able to deal with the life-changing impacts that the death of a lifelong partner, friend, sibling or child can have. A death can trigger the memory of a series of losses experienced over a long lifetime, such as the deaths of parents and friends. It can come at a time when previously reliable support systems have become weakened or disappeared. Older bereaved people are at greater risk of depression, loneliness and isolation. Our project is bringing lots of flexible local bereavement services to the local area! We're here for older people before and after bereavement, offering... • training to the carers of older people • support to people aged over 60 years • support to those living in sheltered accommodation and retirement homes Cruse Bereavement Care Bexley and Bromley is local charity run by local volunteers. We offer free bereavement support to children, young people and adults wherever or however the death occurred. You can help with donations to fund bereavement support groups so our services remain free. We're also looking for help with our publicity. Thank you for joining our mission to transform loneliness in our communities into smiles and happy memories.