Chris' story

Forming a compassionate community: Chris Charters on bereavement support in York

Chris is St Leonard’s Bereavement Alliance Project Lead, working on behalf of the Hospice to secure a city-wide approach to bereavement support.

“How we support bereavement is crucial to any public health approach to dying, death and loss. Our aim is to promote joint working across the sector, make bereavement support easier to find for people of all ages, and develop a compassionate community approach to Bereavement,” he explained.

The Hospice is driving change, with the creation of a coordinated and accessible approach to bereavement, through collaboration with partners across the city to upskill staff and volunteers in being more confident in supporting bereaved citizens. Work is taking place to embed this community approach, identify gaps in service, directly support individuals in crisis and work with school staff to support bereaved pupils.

This approach is supported by staff from York Hospital, Healthwatch, TEWV Mental Health trust, primary care, voluntary sector, City of York Council and others.

St Leonards Hospice wants to help more people across York and North Yorkshire by developing accessible services, so the York Bereavement Alliance is a crucial part of this mission.

The work of St Leonards Hospice is being recognised as good practice at both national and regional level, says Chris. Indeed, Dr Alison Penny, Coordinator of the National bereavement Alliance said:

“Initiating and hosting the York Bereavement Alliance is helping to move the conversation forward as an example of good practice. It is showing how bereavement services and wider health, care and education services can work together for the benefit of the whole bereaved community.”