Grieving service comes together to deal with loss

A NEW bereavement support service has been launched in Edinburgh, aiming to help those grieving for a loved one by bringing them together with others going through the same experience.

The Acorns programme was piloted last year in Liberton and Oxgangs, with 28 people taking part.

Now similar programmes are to be offered at venues across the city from next month.

The initiative - the first of its kind in Scotland - is sponsored by William Purves, one of the Capital's oldest and best-known funeral directors, and run by Church of Scotland minister Reverend Tom Gordon, former chaplain to Edinburgh's Marie Curie Hospice.

Rev Gordon said the aim was to normalise the feelings and emotions surrounding death by sharing them in a group, while offering guidance from experienced professionals.

He said: "Acorns is a simple concept badly needed in a society finding itself increasingly out of touch with death. The feelings experienced during bereavement can be disturbing and people panic, worrying that it is not going to get better and that what they are feeling is not OK.

"Your GP can tell you it is normal to feel the way you do, but when a group of bereaved people all feeling the same say it's normal, you listen."

He said unlike one-to-one counselling offered by the NHS or single-issue charities, Acorns offered the support of the group as well as practical help with the day-to-day issues people face following a death.

The programme is made up of six sessions covering feelings, money, health, cooking, socialising and the future.

Each session is run by an experienced professional, such as a nutritionist, a GP or a Citizens Advice Bureau worker.

Venues include Oxgangs Library, Braidburn Inn, Life Care in Stockbridge and Blackhall Library.

Rev Gordon said people on the pilot programmes formed connections, arranging to meet outwith the group.

He said: "The groups ended the isolation of bereavement and helped members to talk with others who understood what they were going through.

"While the vast majority of people do not need specialist counselling, they need support."

Lord Provost George Grubb, a former parish minister in Corstorphine, said: "From my years as a minister, I know that people who have been bereaved often do not know where to turn for support, so I am sure this new service will be greatly valued here in Edinburgh."

Sandy Young, lead chaplain in Lothian hospitals, said: "This is a valuable service. I am delighted to hear the pilot programmes have gone well and that they are being rolled out this year."

More information is available at 0131-208 1882 or [email protected].