A team of 14 volunteers have been trained to offer a telephone bereavement support service to family and friends of patients who have died under the care of Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice.

The service was formally launched at the Hospice on 27 January 2011 to offer a proactive telephone support service at three months, six months, nine months and a year after the death of a loved one to track how people are coping with their bereavement over the first year.

Anthony Boland, Head of Social, Psychological and Spiritual Care at the Hospice, who manages the service, said: “As we continue to expand our services in the community, the number of bereaved people under our care has grown. Our telephone bereavement service will make telephone contact every three months with family members or friends who have been bereaved for the first year after a death has occurred – simply to check out how they are doing.”

The team of volunteers will offer the bereaved family and friends an opportunity to talk about how they are feeling and to provide a signposting and referral service to additional sources of support.

Annette Wright from Eltham who is volunteering her time to the new service said: “I lost my partner of 20 years suddenly to meningitis two years ago. I have been through the grieving process and had a lot of support from the Hospice with counselling for myself and two of my children, which was invaluable. I have a great empathy and interest in people and my reason for volunteering was about wanting to give something back, not only to the Hospice for all of their help with my situation, but in the community generally.”

“There are a lot of people out there in the community who need our support. The quality of people that have applied to do the telephone bereavement training has been phenomenal. It’s very humbling,” said Anthony.

All the volunteers will receive ongoing supervision and training.