Newbury MP Laura Farris visits West Berkshire branch of Cruse Bereavement Support

Newbury MP Laura Farris visited the West Berkshire branch of the UK’s leading bereavement charity to find out more about what its volunteers do.

The Conservative politician visited the local branch of Cruse Bereavement Support on Friday, February 11, which is located in Broadway House near to Newbury’s clock tower.

The charity supports people during times of grief as well as providing resources to those who want to understand bereavement and how they can help people through the grieving process.

Mrs Farris said: “It was a pleasure to visit Cruse last week; a charity that I had heard about and have referred constituents to but never actually visited.

“The impact of bereavement can be profound and life changing and, as a society, we have become much better at recognising this.

“Cruse do an exemplary job of helping people to articulate their loss and embedding support networks to help them.”

The West Berkshire chair of the Cruse branch Caspar Williams hoped that Mrs Farris’ visit would highlight the vital work the charity does in the local area.

He said: “For us it’s about raising people’s awareness around loss and bereavement, and letting people know about the services we provide.”

Cruse provides local people with bereavement support in a number of different ways. It offers one to one sessions in person, on the phone or over Zoom to adults, young people and children alike.

The charity is also promoting its online resources for people to access so that they know how to discuss grief with those who might be struggling with it. The resources can be accessed at www.cruse.org.uk.

The West Berkshire branch hopes to launch a six-week group course that will educate people on the grieving process as well as giving them the chance to discuss their own experiences with grief.

However, it is struggling to find the numbers to justify running it.

If you would be interested in joining such a course, or would like some bereavement support, call the local Cruse helpline on (01635) 523573.