According to Censuswide information from Sue Ryder Back for a Moment campaign 2025, more than 1 in 4 people feel they can't talk about their grief. We want you to know when it comes to grief, you are not alone in Peterborough.
We spoke with David, a local Peterborough resident, who opened up about their personal experience with grief and reflected on how it has affected them.
David's story
It was an evening in August 2016, and Dad had just died of a heart attack. My attempts to close his eyes were futile: in life his pupils had constantly darted around, monitoring events in the surroundings that would pass me by. While his hand was still warm, I kissed his forehead and walked towards the pulled curtains without looking back.
Outside the windowless and plastic-clad labyrinth, it was still light. Devastated, I sat for some minutes in Dad’s hybrid Toyota Auris. He’d asked me to drive it around to keep it going while he was in the hospital. The car which he had come to resent, desperately missing the Prius used in part exchange. And I wished he’d spent the additional money on a pacemaker. “The law of unintended consequences”, had been one of his catchphrases.
Dad would go home once more though: his coffin resting in the lounge for an hour or so on the morning of the funeral. Lying more horizontally than he had in his beloved reclining armchair.
We have all lost, or will lose, loved ones. The impacts of losing friends, and colleagues, can also be considerable. And the effect of losses may be cumulative. Individuals may even lose several key people, who may (or may not) have comprised their emotional support network.
As a nation, we're not great at talking about death and dying - but that doesn't need to be the case. Giving space for people to talk about how they are feeling is one of the biggest acts of kindness you can show.
How to get support with bereavement in Peterborough
Did you know a national bereavement support charity offers wellbeing walks in Peterborough? Cruse Monthly Wellbeing Walks are run in Peterborough's Central Park and Ferry Meadows. You can join Cruse Bereavement Volunteers, Ramblers Wellbeing Walk Leaders and others who have experienced bereavement for a gentle (or longer) walk in a lovely setting, followed by a café stop. If interested, please email Cruse asking for more information or call and leave your contact details, someone will ring you back.
For information, resources and support visit the Cruse website, call 0300 011 0128 (no referral is required) or email peterborough@cruse.org.uk.
Heart and Soul also run a mental health bereavement support group every Wednesday afternoon once a month. The group runs from 4:30pm to 6:00pm at the Quaker Meeting House, 21 Thorpe Road, Peterborough, PE3 6AB.