Background Pastoral care in an acute hospital setting necessarily includes some bereavement support for families of patients who die. Termed universal bereavement support, an important component of such support is provision of educational information to assist bereaved people struggling with grief. This project aimed to understand, from the perspective of those attending, the value of providing a memorial service for remembering a loved one and whether the education provided at the service successfully met the requirement of a universal bereavement support strategy.

Methods A qualitative study, comprising a semistructured telephone interview with memorial service attendees was undertaken. Data were audio recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.

Results Twenty-nine attendees participated. Three themes provided insights into attendees’ perceptions. The first theme encapsulated the value of remembering and celebrating the life of the deceased; the second theme focused on ‘finding our way through the grief process’ including the value of the educational materials ; and the third theme identified appreciation for the hospital in providing care to those bereaved.

Conclusion The memorial service provides a valued universal bereavement support strategy and such support strategies are an important part in the process of grieving for many attendees.