Grief Companion Volunteer

Are you 4 or more years past your own loss? Would you be willing to reach out to support more newly bereaved parents?

If so, we would encourage you to consider our grief companion role. As a grief companion you would be helping a more recently bereaved parent by providing informal 1:1 support and friendship to them in the early months following the death of their child. Your support may be offered to the parent for a period of up to 12 months.

This can be such an important way for parents to access peer support and particularly so where there are no TCF local contacts or support groups in their area. Please be aware, therefore, that the bereaved parent you are asked to support may be from any part of the UK, rather than someone who is local to you. The contact you will have will be by phone, email and/or online media.

You may also find that this is a lovely way to honour the memory of your own child, by providing comfort to others. It can be a way to acknowledge the skills and experience you have developed through your grief and help support you in your own journey through loss.

As a grief companion, you will be using your own experience and ways of coping to be alongside another bereaved parent. It is important that you are feeling more resilient around your own loss. You would also be expected to maintain confidentiality at all times.

Some of the additional qualities that make a good grief companion are:

• good listening and communication skills
• a high level of compassion and empathy
• non-judgemental approach
• consistent and dependable
• respectful of others’ beliefs and opinions

Our Grief Companion Scheme Manager, Shirley, will offer you support and guidance in your role. If you would like to talk to her before applying, please contact Shirley at griefcompanions@tcf.org.uk and she will be happy to get in touch.

If you feel ready to apply to be a grief companion, please complete the online application form below. The questions about your own loss, including brief details about how your child/children have died, will help us to find a suitable match with a newly bereaved parent.

When a match is made, we ask all our grief companions to complete an enhanced Disclosure Barring Certificate (DBS) check or equivalent, as you will be supporting grieving (vulnerable) adults. The fee for this is paid for directly by The Compassionate Friends.