Sue Ryder launches Grief Kind campaign
At Sue Ryder, we support people through the most difficult times of their lives. As well as providing expert palliative and neurological care, our bereavement support helps people manage their grief when someone close to them dies. Today we are launching our Grief Kind campaign, to help people support their friends and family who are grieving.
Although we help thousands of people each year, we know thousands more are grieving without the support they need. In a recent survey, 86% of people who had been bereaved said they felt alone in their grief. Grief can be isolating and scary, and the pandemic has made getting help even harder.
Update - December 2023, please note our limited-edition Grief Kind cards are no longer available to order.
People shouldn't have to cope alone with their grief
It is so important that people don’t have to cope alone. But we need to improve the way we deal with grief and bereavement. Our research shows that almost half (44%) of the general public aren’t sure what to say when someone tells them a close relative or friend has died, and that’s why we are creating a Grief Kind community across the UK.
Many of us find it hard to know what to say and what to do to help someone who is grieving. At Sue Ryder, we want to give more people the confidence to be there for others. We all have it in us to be Grief Kind, and our movement will help more people get the support they need to cope.
Limited edition sympathy cards and support tips
Over time we'll be launching new avenues of support, but our first step was to launch a pack of four free, limited-edition sympathy cards. The cards have meaningful messages and are specially designed to help you provide ongoing support. Please note, as of December 2023, these cards are no longer available and this information is for reference only.
- The first card is to send to your friend in the first days, weeks and months after someone has died.
- The second card is for difficult moments such as the anniversary of when someone has died.
- The last two cards are checking-in cards to remind your friend you’re still thinking of them.
And, because we know it can be tough to know what to say and do when someone is grieving, we’ve included three prompt postcards with advice on what to write in your sympathy cards and some other tips on being #GriefKind.
Don't know what to write in a bereavement or sympathy card?
If you need a few more suggestions, our Head of Bereavement, Bianca Neumann, gives some ideas for wording in this article:
Find out more
Grief Kind - supporting someone who is grieving
When it comes to something as tough as grief, it can be hard to know what to say or do that might help someone you love. Sue Ryder's Grief Kind campaign can help you support someone who is grieving.