Home|Supportive Retreat Weekend for Parents in Early Bereavement|Supportive Retreat Weekend for Parents in Early Bereavement

Supportive Retreat Weekend for Parents in Early Bereavement

The Ammerdown Centre, Radstock, Bath BA3 5SW.
View larger map

15 February 2019, 16.00 – 17 February 2019, 14.00

The Ammerdown Centre, Bath

THIS RETREAT IS NOW FULL. PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE ON 0345 120 3785 IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT A PLACE.

This supportive retreat weekend is especially for those parents who are in the first few years of bereavement. The timescale is not fixed, but please note that the weekend is for those who feel they are still in the acute early phase of grief.

(If you are bereaved more than 2-3 years please call us on 0345 120 3785 or email info@tcf.org.uk to discuss whether the weekend will be appropriate for you - thank you so much).

Come and meet with others who understand the pain of early grief, and immerse yourself in the comfort and warmth of a dedicated team of bereaved parent supporters.

The two days will be a mixture of discussions and activities which you are free to participate in as much or as little as you want. Most of all, this is an opportunity to spend a few days away with people who truly understand what it means to be a bereaved parent in the early months of this raw and overwhelming grief for our child.

Feedback from parents who have been at previous weekends...

"I was daunted before I arrived but was immediately met with such a warm & heartfelt welcome. It was such a beautiful place to be because of the thought and understanding that had gone into what we needed".

"Whilst this is a club that none of us want to join, being around people that understand, being able to talk openly and frankly about your child without people looking away, and just being able to cry without fear of judgement has been immensely liberating... If you've not been to one of these events, please go, you won't regret it".

"What I mainly got out of the weekend was that there is light at the end of this dark tunnel. It was a comfort to meet people who were further down the road from us, and that we will be able to smile and laugh again in the future".

"We were encouraged to tell our stories, to talk about our beloved children, laugh and cry if we wished. And that is what made the weekend so special, we have all lost someone we love unconditionally so we have an innate understanding of one another. We may differ in how we cope with our grief but with gentle guidance from the supportive volunteers and by just being together... we came to understand we are not alone in the dark."

"A wonderfully therapeutic weekend - such a safe place to be ourselves, wear our broken hearts on our sleeves - a time for our masks to fall and just be the grieving parents that we are."

"This has truly been a weekend of compassion and friendship...Being amongst recently bereaved parents, but with the kindness, support and wisdom of those further along the path was exactly the right mix."

The venue

The Ammerdown Centre is a Retreat Centre nestling in woods next to a stately home, surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens and parkland, with a beautiful chapel in its midst. The whole place is steeped in peace and tranquility. No traffic noise, only birdsong! Yet, it is only 12 miles from Bath and is easy to access, with ample free car parking on site.

Ammerdown is not meant to be a 5-star hotel. Rooms are simple but very comfortable, most with ensuite facilities. The staff are dedicated to making us warmly welcome, and the home-cooked food is of a high quality.

(Please note that although Ammerdown is a Christian Centre it is open to people of all faiths and none, and the supportive weekend we run here for The Compassionate Friends has no religious content).

There is a railway station in Bath, and it is easy to get a bus from the station to the short distance to Radstock. We can arrange to pick you up from Radstock bus station which is just 1.5 miles away from Ammerdown.

Support our work

Each year thousands of parents suffer the loss of a son or a daughter. Please help TCF to support families in their time of greatest need.

Make a donation

Tell us what you think

Whatever your contact with TCF we encourage you to give us feedback so that we can continue to improve our support.

Give feedback