Churches Together Around Tadley recently started running the Good Grief Café. This was a response to the Who Cares? survey we ran in 2017. In that survey local Tadley people said that coping with death and bereavement was one of the things they found most difficult in life. Because of that we spent some time thinking about what we could do to help.

We initially ran an evening in Sainsburys café which was extremely well-attended with a panel who were able to answer questions on coping with death and bereavement. The panel included church pastoral workers, one of the local undertakers, and a bereavement counsellor. It was clear from the evening that people would appreciate something more, and the Good Grief Cafe was born.

The Good Grief Café launched in September 2018. It meets on the first and third Thursdays of each month at Tadley Common Methodist Church, from 2:30-4:00 pm. The Café provides an environment where people dealing with bereavement can meet with others who are walking the same journey.

It is open to anyone, and is a place to find support: it is not a formal bereavement counselling service. The afternoons include refreshments, conversation, activities for those who wish to take part, and encouragement and support.

The Good Grief Cafe is open to all. You don’t need to be in one of the churches to join in, and you will be very welcome. Check on the calendar to ensure the Good Grief Cafe is running if you plan to come along.