SIBBS Newsletter Autumn 2022

SIBBS Newsletter, Autumn 2022 | www.tcf.org.uk 4 On the weekend of 7 - 8 May we ran our first overnight retreat for 3 years at Woodbrooke in Birmingham for adult bereaved siblings. Our brilliant volunteers- Emma, Rachael, Hayley and Karen - all bereaved siblings themselves offered a range of activities and ways to connect - writing and talking, walking and crafting and much more. The feedback from the retreat has been amazing. Here Holly and Ellana share their experience. Holly Clark writes - My sister died 6 years ago and before the retreat I’d never met anyone who’d been through sibling bereavement in their teens like me. Attending the retreat really changed my life and how I view my own grief and relationship with my sister. I couldn’t believe how similar my thoughts and feelings were to so many others with similar experiences to me. The things you can’t say to ‘normal’ people, you can vent, rant, cry to those at the retreat and it just feels right because even though you’d never met before they know exactly what you’ve been through. I constantly found myself shouting “omg me too” the entire weekend and that had never happened to me before. It’s like this strange unspoken bond you have It’s a really strange but comforting feeling. Yes, It’s the worst club to be a part of and wouldn’t want anyone to know or feel how we do, but I feel so thankful that I’m not alone in it. “Before the retreat I’d never met anyone who’d been through sibling bereavement” Woodbrooke Weekend Retreat