Additional funding to help those through difficult times

An extra £3m is being invested in bereavement services across Wales to help ensure everyone can access the support they need, when they need it.

The Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Sarah Murphy said the three-year funding would help Wales become a “compassionate nation” and improve bereavement care and support.

The Bereavement Support Grant will support all those experiencing a loss,

with specialist forms of support for people living and working in agriculture and those experiencing more complex forms of grief.

Sarah Murphy said:

We want to ensure Wales is a compassionate nation, where everyone has equitable access to high-quality bereavement care and support. Providing this additional funding we hope will help us reach that goal.

One of the organisations to benefit from the grant is Cardiff-based Platfform Wellbeing.

One person who has been supported by Platfform has said:

I feel a lot better talking to my counsellor about what I was going through. They are so supportive and never judge you on what you talk about.

I can’t thank my counsellor enough for talking things through with me and helping.

Another said:

The [counsellor] was a fantastic comfort to me, helping me not only through my bereavement but also some of the other big issues that were affecting me, my mental health and emotional wellbeing. She really made a difference to my life and I’m not sure I could have made it through the past year without her.

Peter Johnson, commercial director of Platfform Wellbeing, said:

We are grateful to the Welsh Government for this continued funding, which enables us to support those who have experienced bereavement.

Over the past three years, this support has allowed us to reach hundreds of people through thousands of one-to-one sessions and peer-supported groups during what is often a confusing and difficult time. It has been a privilege to walk alongside so many on their journey.

As part of efforts to develop a pathway for bereavement care in Wales, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has become the first health board in Wales to provide a psychology-led bereavement service for those who experience the death of a baby, either in pregnancy or up to 28 days following the birth of their baby.

Speaking after her visit to Platfform, Sarah Murphy said:

Platfform is delivering a fantastic service, and it is making sure people have the right connection when they need it.

It was humbling to learn of the experiences of people who have used Platfform and to speak to staff and hear how the organisation has help ed them during their own times of grief.