SEVERAL new bereavement services are being offered at Bury Hospice to help and support people to cope with the loss of their loved ones.

In a bid to combat isolation, the hospice in Rochdale Old Road has launched a Bereavement Drop-in Café and a Walk N Talk group as an alternative to one-to-one support sessions.

Another new service is the Sunflower Support Group which has been set up to provide bereavement support for children aged four to 11, as well as their parents and or careers.

The support group has been launched in partnership with Child Bereavement UK to help children through their grief by giving them an opportunity to explore their feelings, express their emotions, share memories and develop resilience through creative activities.

Christine Green, Family Bereavement Support Co-ordinator/Counsellor, said: "When someone is bereaved it can be a totally consuming feeling, often leading to isolation and for some is very hard to move on from their loss.

"Bury Hospice appreciate that bereavement is different for everyone and have developed some new initiatives to help facilitate the best ways of offering our support.

"Our feedback for the Bereavement Drop-in Café and the Walk N Talk group has been very positive. It has been described as an opportunity to get out and meet new people, giving participants the change to share how they feel, helping to prevent the isolation often felt after a bereavement, and a chance to gain new friends."

A new Help Yourself 2 Wellbeing course has also been established to help people evaluate and make change themselves. The course is currently operating as a closed group but there are plans to expand this.

The Bereavement Drop-in Café is open to everyone. It is help on the first and third Wednesday of each month, between 5.30pm and 7pm, and on the first and third Thursday of each month, between 1pm and 2.30pm.

Plans have been made to run the new Sunflower Support Group twice each year, in spring and autumn.

The first sessions will take place on February 9 and 23, and March 9 and 23, with priority being given to families who already have a connection with the hospice. However, any places left will be opened up to the general public.

Anyone is invited to attend the Walk N Talk group which takes place on the first and third Tuesday of every month, between 10.30am and 11.30am. Walkers meet at the hospice reception.

The Sunflower Support Group is taking place every Saturday morning during November.

Christine said: "It is hoped this will be the first of many future programmes to support bereaved families in Bury."