Bereavement Group Helps Women of All Ages Find Friendship in Grief

When 29-year-old Chloe lost her partner of four years, Stu, suddenly to cancer on New Year's Eve in 2023, she was left at a loss during a time when she should have been looking forward to their next year together.  Jimmy Smith, Funeral Director at West Midlands-based Funeral Director Jennifer Ashe & Son, was put in touch with Chloe the very next day and talked her through the support they could give her and the next steps of planning Stu’s funeral – and then led the ceremony on 29th January 2024.  In the weeks following the funeral, Chloe received great support from friends, family, and the Jennifer Ashe & Son team who kept in touch with her throughout.  It was during this time that she discovered the funeral directors’ Dove Bereavement Group through its Facebook page. Hosted monthly at Ye Old Toll House on Walsall Road in Willenhall, the bereavement group, which launched in 2023, offers a safe space to those in the local community experiencing grief. Chloe comments: “It was honestly something I never considered looking for or attending. A lot of people my age find help through online services, but I realised it would allow me to see members of the Jennifer Ashe team again in person, and they had helped me so much at the darkest time of my life, so I went to my first session in February.  “I was nervous at first, but I remember that everybody was very friendly and welcoming. We were a much smaller group back then; we’ve grown in numbers significantly in the past year that the group has been meeting.” Attending the Dove Bereavement Group allowed Chloe to not only surround herself with people who could empathise personally with her grieving process, but it would also prove to be the meeting point for her now treasured friend. Chloe continues: “I first met Sue at the session I attended in February, and we instantly got on like a house on fire. While there is a 40-year age gap between us, age is just a number, and we just love to have a laugh and sometimes a cry together. “After losing her parents and best friend Sue used the group to meet with people who understood what she was going through. I wanted to be there for her to make sure she wasn’t isolated in her house, which is what I sadly experienced firsthand with my late Nan after she lost her husband. It’s important to me to make sure Sue doesn’t feel alone or that she hasn’t got anyone to talk to.” Sue has also played a vital role in supporting Chloe through her grieving process, an experience that, while not new to her, was far tougher to face.  Chloe adds: “It’s been a huge help having someone so close who understands how I’m feeling. It wasn’t my first experience of death, but when I lost Stu I struggled to know who to talk to and often people who haven’t experienced grief themselves don’t know what to say.  "Sue has been amazing over the past year, sharing her own experiences with me to remind me that I’m not alone. Seeing her strength has inspired me to find my own and I’m so grateful to have met her at the bereavement group." The pair often meet up outside of the bereavement group sessions to catch up over coffee and cake, and they keep in touch with WhatsApp when they aren’t together. They will also be joining the rest of their Dove group on Wednesday 18th December for their festive Christmas dinner at Ye Old Toll House, funded by the Jennifer Ashe & Son team. Chloe comments: “The Dove Bereavement Group really is just one big friendship group, and I can't recommend going along to support sessions like this enough to people my age or even younger.” Angela Donnelly, Personal Funeral Advisor at Jennifer Ashe & Son, who helps run the Dove Bereavement Group added: “It’s important to us that we provide a safe space for those in the community who need a friendly face and a listening ear. Many of those who attend our group sessions will have similar stories to tell and a lot of support to give to each other – it’s wonderful to have seen a friendship like this blossom.” The next Dove Bereavement Group will be hosted on Wednesday 8th January, 10am-12pm at Ye Old Toll House, which is accessible via public transport and will be facilitated by the Jennifer Ashe & Son team, who can offer support and advice for those attending. To find out more information or enquire about the bereavement groups, please contact the team on 01902 937572 or visit: https://jafunerals.co.uk/.