Community Engagement

At St Mary’s Hospice, we recognise that grief touches every part of our community. Our Bereavement Champion Training is a free training opportunity designed to help staff, volunteers and community partners feel more confident in supporting people who are experiencing grief and loss.
The training offers a compassionate introduction to bereavement, helping participants to better understand how grief can affect individuals, families and communities. It explores the many ways people experience loss, and how small acts of understanding and kindness can make a meaningful difference.
Participants will learn how to:
· Develop a deeper understanding of grief and bereavement
· Recognise the different ways people respond to loss
· Listen with empathy and compassion
· Feel more confident having supportive conversations
· Signpost individuals to appropriate sources of support
Bereavement Champions help to create grief-aware communities, where people feel more able to talk about loss and where no one feels alone in their grief.
By offering this free training, St Mary’s Hospice hopes to build a growing network of compassionate individuals across workplaces, community organisations and local services who feel empowered to support others during some of life’s most difficult moments.

If you or your organisation would like to learn more about becoming a Bereavement Champion, please get in touch with the St Mary’s Hospice team on 01229 444407.

At St Mary’s Hospice, we believe services are strongest when they are shaped with the people they are designed to support. Through service evaluation, community feedback and team reflection, we identified a gap in bereavement support for young adults aged 18–35 across South Lakes and Furness. Many of our existing services were primarily accessed by older adults, and we recognised that younger people may face different barriers when seeking support.

To better understand these needs, we held two co-production engagement sessions for young adults in accessible community venues at St Mary’s Hospice in Ulverston and the Holiday Inn in Barrow. The sessions were promoted through social media and designed to feel informal and welcoming, helping to create an open space for conversation.

Participants shared their thoughts on what bereavement support should look like for their age group, the barriers that may prevent young people from accessing help, and what would help them feel safe and supported. For those unable to attend, we also offered the option to contribute their views via text message.

The insights gathered are now helping to shape a new bereavement support offer for young adults.
Watch this space for more information about this new service launching soon.

Grief Fest, held in Barrow as part of National Grief Awareness Week, brought together local organisations, community members and people with lived experience of loss to encourage open conversations about grief and bereavement.

The event created a welcoming space for people to learn about the support available locally and to help break down the stigma that can sometimes surround talking about grief. Speakers and organisations shared insights into how communities can better support those experiencing loss and highlighted the importance of compassion and connection.

The event was described as inspiring and demonstrated the strength of partnership working across Barrow, with services coming together to support people through some of life’s most difficult moments. Events like this play an important role in raising awareness of grief, encouraging understanding, and ensuring that people know they are not alone.

Through continued community engagement and collaboration, we hope to keep the conversation around grief open and ensure support is visible and accessible to everyone who needs it.
 

We were delighted to attend Furness Pride for the second year, bringing our message of inclusivity and support to the heart of the community.

This year, we delivered our “No Barriers Here” workshops, designed to create open, safe spaces where people could explore and discuss the barriers, they face in accessing care and support. Through interactive activities and discussions, attendees reflected on both personal and societal challenges, helping us to better understand how we can make our services truly accessible to everyone.

Adding a special touch to the day, our community choir performed, sharing uplifting songs that celebrated diversity and connection.

We’re seeking passionate, community-minded people to become Hospice Champions for St Mary’s Hospice.

In this flexible volunteer role, you’ll support events, raise awareness, challenge misconceptions, and help promote that hospice care is about living well, not just end-of-life. Full training and ongoing support are provided- no experience needed.
We’re hosting several open days in locations across the region throughout the year, come along to learn more, meet the team, and get involved.
Click here to book