Background Many hospices only offer bereavement support through one-to-one counselling or bereavement cafés to adults with a link to that hospice. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to an increasing number of people losing loved ones, putting extra strain on local bereavement services and resulting in hospices opening up referrals to the general public. ‘Grief Encounters’ was developed using a Compassionate Communities approach to help normalize bereavement (Mills, Abel, Kellehear, et al. Lancet. 2024; 404(10448):104–106), empower, and keep people connected.

Aim To create a 6-week themed course for those experiencing bereavement to explore their journey of grief by providing a safe space to tell their story, express their feelings, and find support from others going through similar experiences.

Method Small groups of 4–6 bereaved people with two volunteer facilitators to help guide the conversation, interspaced with intentional questions, shaped the course’s weekly themes:

• Welcome and introduction – Getting to know each other.

• The Journey of Grief – An overview of the five stages of grief.

• Who am I? – Hand tracing activity to focus on stages of life/your unique identity.

• Where am I? – Bring your favourite footwear and why? Taking the next step.

• Permission to look after yourself – Introduction to Emotional Freedom Technique.

• Be Brave – What next? – Invitation to keep connected to a local Compassionate Communities social meet up.

The model proved to be very successful and reproduceable.

Results Between 2021–2023, 8 trained facilitators hosted 23 courses across 3 areas. 102 people attended with 72 (71%) ‘keeping connected’ to a social meet up. Evaluation by observation and feedback forms consistently revealed how effective the model was, noting in particular the value of the experiences of others and creating support networks.

Conclusion Bereavement offers its own expertise. The grief journey is ongoing and often best supported by others going through it themselves.