Dying to Talk: Grief Cafes coming to County Durham

Marking this year’s Hospice UK Dying Matters Awareness Week, Forget Me Not Grief Café is hosting a series of friendly get togethers in County Durham for anyone touched by bereavement, wherever they are on their grieving journey.

The relaxed coffee mornings are an opportunity to meet and talk with others in the community who have been bereaved, and share personal thoughts, feelings and experiences around love, loss, and the many issues surrounding it.

The events are free to attend, and refreshments are available to purchase at each venue.

Hosted by local holistic therapist and celebrant Annette Jeffrey, the events are being held at the following venues:

The McIntyre Centre, Newgate St, Bishop Auckland – Saturday May 10^th 10am to 12 noon

Coffee to Envy, Commercial St, Crook - Saturday May 17th 10am to 12 noon

Dates in Durham City will be announced shortly.

Forget Me Not Grief Café was founded by Annette Jeffrey. She has a wealth of personal experience and insight around grief, having lived through more than her share of bereavements, in a multitude of circumstances.

Professionally, she’s a semi-retired funeral celebrant who has supported grieving families since 2016, and is a full and active member of the Fellowship of Professional Celebrants.

Annette said:

‘With Forget Me Not Grief Café, we aim to offer a welcoming, peaceful space in which we can talk openly about how grief has changed our world forever, with others who understand the lifelong impact loss can bring.

I believe the real grieving only begins once the funeral is over, yet beyond this point we may feel unable to talk frankly about the depth of our grief. There is often an expectation that we must ‘move on’ long before we’re ready, and very quickly our immediate circle no longer wants to hear how we really feel. They may avoid the subject, or even distance themselves from us altogether, for fear of awkwardness, or embarrassment at simply not knowing what to say.

This can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation, intensifying the complex emotions grief can evoke. The effects of loving and losing are lifelong, and there will always be a need to talk with those who can empathise, whether this is weeks, years or decades after a bereavement. It’s never too late to talk.