Update 20 March 2020

Unfortunately due to the escalation of the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) the following Family Services bereavement events are being cancelled until further notice:

• Time to Remember on 25 March 2020
• Early Bereavement Group on every 2nd Wednesday of the month
• Social Evening on every 1st Wednesday of the month
• Thanksgiving Service on 21 April 2020

There will also be no St Barnabas summer children’s bereavement event this June.

We regret the need to cancel these events but feel this action is appropriate in view of the latest government guidance

Bereavement services

We also offer support to those who have been referred to us by another hospice.

If you are interested in any of the following activities, please contact the Bereavement Service Coordinator on 01903 706342 or the Family Service Administrator on 01903 706341.

Support following bereavement leaflet

About three weeks after a patient dies under our care we write to the next of kin if we have an address, enclosing a leaflet with information on common experiences in bereavement and how to access bereavement support. If you wish, you can download this leaflet below in the Downloads section of this page.

Early Bereavement Group

This monthly group offers support to family and friends in the first nine months after a bereavement. It is an opportunity to meet other newly-beareaved people, to share thoughts and feelings with others in similar circumstances.

Time to remember

Around four months after a death we invite bereaved relatives and friends to this event at the hospice, led by our Chaplain and the Bereavement Service Coordinator. It is an opportunity to come and remember those who have died and to meet others bereaved around the same time.

Social evenings

Six months after bereavement we invite the bereaved to attend our monthly social evenings, to socialise with other bereaved people. The programme includes entertainers, quizzes, speakers and a summer meal. Bereaved relatives and friends are welcome to attend this group for over two years after their bereavement.

Thanksgiving service

About a year after your bereavement we invite you to a thanksgiving service led by our Chaplain at one of our local churches, to remember your loved one.

Light up a life

Every December we hold a carol service in Worthing Assembly Hall to remember and celebrate the lives of our loved ones, which everyone is welcome to attend. Find out more here. 

As part of Light Up a Life this year, our Family Services Team are holding a bereavement drop in event on Saturday 8 December 2018 between 11am and 12.30pm for children and families. Find out more here.

Individual bereavement support

If you would like individual support we arrange an initial meeting with the Bereavement Service Coordinator to assess how best to support you.

We provide individual support through:

• Counsellors

• Bereavement visitors

• Social workers

• The Chaplain

Sessions can be arranged at St Barnabas or in your home. It may also be possible to arrange to meet somewhere else, for example at your GP’s surgery.

Counsellors and bereavement visitors offer up to 12 sessions to bereaved family members and friends. Sessions are usually 50 minutes. The Chaplain and social workers work more flexibly.

Individual support can be arranged by contacting our Bereavement Service Coordinator on 01903 706342 or the Family Services Administrator on 01903 706341.