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Read the latest news, events and updates from Cruse Scotland – plus blogs written by bereavement experts that may offer hope, support or insight for you or others who are grieving.
Next on our Volunteers' Week spotlight, Practice Placement student Lorna reflects on her time volunteering with us.
This week we are highlighting the amazing volunteers who make our bereavement support services possible. Denise joined Cruse Scotland as practice placement student, and is now a fully qualified counsellor. In this short interview, Denise speaks about her experience volunteering with us.
North Volunteer Elizabeth shares a thought-provoking and insightful blog on how we can accept death, dying and bereavement in our everyday lives. This year, Demystifying Death Week takes place from Monday 5 May until Sunday 11 of May.
After losing her mother, Helpline Volunteer Zosia found solace in the medium of analogue photography and poetry. This project 'Roses & Jazz - A Grief Tale' charts a personal journey through grief and memory. As Zosia began to take photos of her surroundings and write accompanying poems, the camera became a navigation tool that helped her find a way through the first two years of loss.
Three friends who were brought together online through our free grief support service, have reunited in person to say thanks to the team and to Scotmid Funerals who provided the funding to make it possible.
This article from Nicola Reed, our Director of Client Services, discusses the key themes of Wendy's - a recent client - story, and offers support and advice for anyone who is struggling with grief or identifies with any of her thoughts, feelings or experiences.
Former counselling client, Wendy, shares her experience of the first Christmas and New Year following the death of both parents, at the same time as trying to be a mum to her daughter.
Free downloads to help you have fun, spread the word about our services, raise funds, and more.
Christmas can be a time of heightened emotion, grief and anxiety for those who have been bereaved. These tips may help you to cope better through the festive period.
Christmas can be the most exciting time of year for young people, but it can also be a time when loss is felt more sharply. Our tips for parents and carers supporting grieving children may help.
We acknowledge the complex challenges that face the trans community as we remember the lives of trans folk gone too soon. Helpline Manager Kyle McFadden-Young reflects on the importance of this day.
Volunteer Lucy Colquhoun reviews David Kessler's new workbook written to accompany his best-selling 2019 book 'Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief'.
It's Children's Grief Awareness Week and Volunteer Lindsay Gardner shares important guidance on how we can build hope for the grieving children and young people in our lives.
Lucy lives in Scottish Borders and is a foodie who loves dogs, running and books. When Lucy isn't volunteering as a helpline listener, she also enjoys writing, the following short story, 'Broken Wing' is a lyrical piece about grief.
If you or someone you know has lost their baby recently, financial help is available from Social Security Scotland. Read this article to find out if you're eligible.
We recognise the profound difficulty of the death of a baby. From 9-15 October, we will be signposting various support services and how to access them.
Cruse Scotland highly recommends HoodieHut for printed T-shirts and hoodies.
Nicola Reed, Director of Client Services at Cruse Scotland, shares a blog on why she also donates her time and skills outside of her '9 to 5' to our charity.
As we approach World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10) Ann Hunter, Suicide Bereavement Project Coordinator, reflects on how we can together change the narrative on Suicide.
Moira reached out to Cruse Scotland after losing her daughter and was connected with Ros, Counselling Volunteer. Moira shares her moving story in this blog article.
With the 80th anniversary of D-Day approaching, we share a blog by a Cruse Scotland volunteer, Audrey, who had a memorable encounter with veterans.
The ultimate challenge that you'll never forget - raise vital funds for Cruse Scotland by flying through the clouds from over 10,000ft at 125mph!
As part of our #JournallingThroughGrief campaign, writer and Cruse Scotland Volunteer Elena shares a powerful message about the written word, and how it helps us reflect on grief and loss.
In this moving blog post, Jen our volunteer, opens up about losing her parents and raising her daughter. Jen's story covers the journey from reaching out to our support services, to volunteering with us.
Iain has volunteered with Cruse Scotland for the best part of two decades and over this time he has seen a lot of growth and change, particularly with our Free National Bereavement Helpline where he continues to volunteer. In this blog, Iain shares his journey and how the Helpline has expanded over the years.
In acknowledgement of Valentine’s Day and the stark reminders all around for those who are grieving their partner, Cruse Scotland Director of Client Services, Nicola Reed, offers some understanding and words of comfort.
This helpful guide provides you with clarity and some immediate answers to the practical and legal duties, from obtaining a death certificate, registering a death, arranging a funeral, digital property, and more.
Ten year old Thorin and his mum, Diana, launch our Christmas Appeal by sharing the difference Cruse Scotland made to their lives thanks to the support from Children and Young Person Bereavement specialist, Annamarie.
Christmas can be a time when loss is felt particularly acutely and when the absence of the loved person is felt more strongly than in the everyday run of life. In this article, Jayne Paulson, Children and Young Person Supporter, shares some ideas that may help those supporting a bereaved child this Christmas.
“It’s such a comfort to me knowing that charities like Cruse Scotland exist. I wish I knew about their bereavement support for Young People when I was 14" - Read Laura's blog and why she ran her first Half Marathon this year.
"How do you tell an 8 and 11 year old that they will never see their dad again?”
Read the blog from mum, Tracy, and her children, Caitlin and Cameron, that shares how Cruse Scotland was there to support them after their dad died during the festive break.
Here are some simple and practical tips on how to cope with anxiety, especially when it is combined with grief.
Buy a ticket for £1 and you could win up to £25,000 at the same time as making a BIG difference to children, young people and adults struggling with their grief.
We're here if you're struggling with grief and need to talk. This article also shares information and tips on how to be an ally, as well as some of the challenges we have faced when working with clients who identify as trans.
"If someone was thinking about taking on a running challenge for Cruse Scotland, I’d say JUST DO IT! The feeling of knowing that money is going to help people who are going through some of the worst times of their life overrides the pain of the early morning long runs, 10 times over!”
This is a list we will keep adding to as resources come to our attention. We hope you find comfort in other people's stories - as well as further information, advice and support.
Support is available locally and nationally, in many different ways - here are just a number of organisations that you, or someone you know, can reach out to for additional help.
World Suicide Prevention Day is held each year on 10 September, and invites everyone to show their support for suicide prevention efforts, to reflect, and to remember those lost to suicide and those bereaved by suicide.
If you get certain tax credits or benefits you can get help to pay for a loved one's funeral.
Tina and Lewis, and their four legged friend Bailey, took on an epic 149km month long challenge to raise funds for Cruse Scotland in memory of their friend Galen.
Bereavement Counsellor, Angie Toppan, talks about the path that brought her to Cruse Scotland.
Lara shares her personal experience of grief and why she now volunteers as a Bereavement Counsellor with Cruse Scotland.
Jayne is a Children and Young Person Supporter who gives her time, skills and experience to bring specialist tailored advice and support depending on the age and stage of grief the child is at.
The Edinburgh Marathon Festival took place over the last weekend in May and we're so grateful to have our largest team of Cruse Scotland runners to date, across four distances.
Cruse Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government to provide free bereavement support for workplaces affected by suicide.
In partnership with No Knives, Better Lives we have developed a course on supporting young people experiencing grief and bereavement.
From Half Marathons to HYROX Functional Fitness competitions, find out how Douglas found his new passions and why it may just inspire you to get physical too.
"As a Mother you will keep the memories and the essence of that beloved being in your heart forever and you can never lose that!" - Cruse Scotland volunteer counsellor, Lilian McDade, shares a blog on how she keeps the memories of her son alive on Mother's Day, and all year round.
Cruse Scotland is delighted to be involved in the first ever Helplines Awareness Day - a great opportunity for us to celebrate the amazing work of our Free National Bereavement Helpline and the incredible team behind this vital service.
Helpline Manager Kyle shares a blog giving thanks to the incredible team behind the Cruse Scotland National Bereavement Helpline.
"To feel alone especially at Christmas with your thoughts and feelings is not something that anyone should have to struggle with - so there is a way forward and Cruse Scotland helped me to deal with something that I truly believe probably, and quite literally, saved my life."
"If they hadn’t answered my call on that difficult day, I know that I would not have gone on from strength to strength."
"I didn’t see the point of celebrating when it felt like my heart was constantly breaking."
Holly shares how Cruse Scotland has helped her to cope following the death of her Grandad.
Across Scotland, 300,000 bereaved children, young people and adults are facing their first Christmas without a loved one. Many will need additional support to cope. No one should struggle alone.
"I did not forget the help that Cruse Scotland gave and in my own journey of studying Counselling I took the opportunity of becoming a volunteer."
"I felt so under pressure in the first Christmas to keep everything the way it had been before. Such a pressure, but at the time I didn’t grasp it. I had a wee child to think about and John’s family. I couldn’t afford to ‘indulge’ my grief. This is how I felt."
Christmas can be a time of heightened emotion, grief and anxiety for those who have been bereaved. In this article, Cruse Scotland volunteer, Graham Stevenson, offers advice about coping with anxiety during the festive period, especially when it is combined with grief.
Funerals come in all shapes and sizes, in her latest Blog, Mo Szulejewska encourages us all to be prepared for our feelings ahead of a funeral.
A nation mourns. But why? And what is that all about? Nicola Reed, Cruse Scotland's Head of Client Services explains.
As a nation mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth ll, we give some advice on how to manage your grief.
Cruse Scotland announces appointment of new Chief Executive Officer.
Bereaved Glasgow mum and Cruse Scotland volunteer has written a book in memory of her baby daughter to help others cope with adversity
Katie Mackay really has gone ‘above and beyond’ in her efforts to raise thousands of pounds - as well as much needed awareness - for suicide prevention and bereavement support charities, by climbing 30 Munros in memory of her brother, Calum.
Alex from Dundee has signed up to the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow this October and shares more about her reasons for taking on this fundraising challenge.
Working together to develop support for bereaved families after a traumatic loss.
Margaret tells us about her experience losing her husband during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 and how Cruse Scotland helped her cope with his death.
This week is Demystifying Death week in Scotland. Rebecca Patterson, Director of Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief – and one of Cruse Scotland’s Board Members – explains what the week is about.
When we face changes and challenges in life, feeling stressed out is natural. Stress is the body’s normal response to physical or emotional tension. In this article, Cruse Scotland volunteer, Saboohi Gill, explains what stress is and how you can manage it.
Volunteer Bereavement Counsellor, Lilian, shares her approach to counselling and how she prepares for each session.
January can be a really hard time for people who have lost someone close in the previous year. In addition, it’s unsurprising that significant losses from previous years can also play a strong part in your thoughts at this time. In this article, Cruse Scotland volunteer, Graham Stevenson, outlines feelings that may arise as you look to the new year ahead.
You may have heard the term ‘complicated grief’ and wondered if what you’re experiencing fits with its definition. In this blog post, Cruse Scotland Training Manager, Daryl Cuthbert, explains what complicated grief is, how it differs from ‘normal’ grief and how you can get support.
For Alcohol Awareness Week, Nicola Reed explores the complexities of grieving for a loved one who died from an alcohol-related cause.
Having suffered multiple bereavements at a very young age, volunteer Audrey Holligan found her calling as a children and young people's supporter. Here she tells her story, how it has shaped her career, and how helping others has ultimately helped her heal from her own trauma.
For Remembrance Day 2021, Cruse Scotland volunteer, Audrey Holligan, shares a moving encounter with war veterans when she represented our Step-by-Step groups at a Legion d'Honneur service.
As the nights draw in and falling leaves remind us of nature's lifecycle, November brings a number of opportunities for us to remember loved ones we've lost.
Last year, Danielle shared her own story of miscarriage on the Cruse Scotland blog to help others going through a similar experience. For Baby Loss Awareness Week 2021, she reflects on how the simple act of growing, and losing, a pumpkin triggered feelings similar to her grief after miscarriage.
After a friend suffers the trauma of miscarriage, it can be hard to know what to do or say. In this article, Cruse Scotland Area Manager, Nicola Reed, offers advice about how to support someone grieving for their baby.
Nicola Reed, Cruse Scotland’s Area Manager for the North and East, explores the silences enveloping miscarriage and the complex feelings that parents, grandparents, siblings and friends may experience.
In this article, Danielle Cooper-Lowden, a Cruse Scotland Volunteer and graduate of the MSc Counselling course from Abertay, Dundee, discusses the subject of her Masters project: fathers’ experience of child loss through miscarriage and stillbirth.
Transitions in life can cause emotional disruption, even if they bring about positive changes. The death of a loved one inevitably causes major transitions, in terms of one’s role, identity, meaning and lifestyle. In this article, Cruse Scotland volunteer, Saboohi Gill, explores the psychological impacts of transitions and offers tips on how to cope with life’s challenges and changes.
Cruse Scotland volunteer, Lilian McDade, reflects on her own experience of delayed grief and encourages others to seek support – even if grief surfaces decades after a bereavement.
Cruse Scotland volunteer, Lilian McDade, lost her 21-year-old son 19 years ago. In this blog article, she recounts her story and how she felt in the days, weeks, months and years after her son’s tragic death.
Cruse Scotland volunteer, Mo Szulejewska, has been keeping a journal for years and found writing particularly helpful when grieving the deaths of her parents. In this article, Mo describes the benefits of journal writing and offers tips to help you get started.
Cruse Scotland volunteer, Mo Szulejewska, describes how letter writing can help to continue a relationship with a loved one who has died.
Writing poetry can be a therapeutic activity to express your emotions and remember your loved one. In this article, Cruse Scotland volunteer, Lilian McDade shares some of her own poetry and explains how it has helped her during times of grief.
Today, on World Cancer Day, we share a personal story of a colleague who has lived through this experience. We thank her for offering her reflections, and her suggestions for how you can help people coping with cancer at this time.
In this blog post, Cruse Scotland volunteer, Audrey Holligan, describes how children and young people may experience grief, and how adults around them can help them cope.
Originally written for Baby Loss Awareness Week 2020, one of our volunteer counsellors, Danielle, shares her own story of miscarriage to help us all open up about this difficult but sadly far-too-common experience.
