Bereavement Support Volunteers

The death of a loved one is intensely painful but it is a part of life and it’s something most people are able to come to terms with, with the help of those around them. But these days families and communities are much more fragmented than they were, and that help may not be easily available. That’s where we come in. Also, those who are struggling often find it’s easier to talk to someone who is not as involved as friends and family, and who’ll listen without judging.

Whatever people’s reasons for coming to us, there’s a definite demand, as the waiting list shows.

• The volunteering role is incredibly rewarding
• Quality training
• Experience supporting others 
• Looks great on any CV
• Opportunity to give back and help others
• Become part of a supportive team
• Learn new skills

You will agree with your client how support will proceed; typically half a dozen or so weekly hour-long sessions, face to face (either at our offices, school or occasionally at the clients home), online or telephone. It’s all flexible and negotiable.

The sessions are held in private with preferably no disturbances (phones off). Every client is different but the main goal is to create a safe space for a conversation to happen where the client feels able to talk openly about how they feel without fear of judgment.

It’s also important to explain that they are on a journey and there may not be a quick fix.

In a word, listen! It’s the most important thing we do, and sometimes it’s the only thing we can do. We listen, and show we’re listening, without judging or giving advice. With our understanding of grief and grieving we can also offer reassurance that what is being experienced is normal and natural. Often we can put people in touch with other services, inside or outside Mind, which they might find helpful.

Putting it another way, we can’t take away people’s pain or solve their problems, but we can walk alongside them whilst they come to terms with what life has thrown at them.

Mid & North Powys Mind is a supportive organisation. As well as training before and during voluntary work, we also have volunteer support meetings every two months, giving an opportunity for all Bereavement Supporters to get together either in-person or on-line.

You will have your own supervisor they meet every month to discuss their work and also their own wellbeing.
The Service Coordinator and Manager are at hand should there be any thing you are unsure of and there are also detailed written instructions.

There are opportunities for development. You could receive training to become a supervisor, and can join the Core Group which shapes the running and future of the service.

There are also many opportunities for training and development both within the service and the organisation generally. Volunteering in the service also looks great on C.V’s!

There is always a choice. You will not be put under any pressure to do anything you don’t want to. When you are contacted by the Service Coordinator, you will be given a basic outline of the client and their circumstances. If at that time you feel this is not an appropriate client for you, for whatever reason, you can decline that referral and ask for another. You can talk this through with the Service Coordinator or your supervisor.

You can have as many clients as is agreed by yourself and your supervisor.

If you prefer to do remote work rather than face to face that can be arranged according to client request or availability.

You can choose your own radius for travel if you choose to do home visits.

You will be joining a team that currently consists of twenty volunteers, which collectively think of themselves like a family. Some support children, some support adults and some support both (depending on training).

As a team we meet every other month for a Support Meeting, where we share client examples, support each other and discuss various bereavement related topics. You can join in-person or online.

Each volunteer has a dedicated supervisor (who is also a volunteer), who you usually see once a month. It is their role to support you with your client work and wellbeing, not to judge you.

We have a Service Coordinator who does client assessments and is our main point of contact for all practical client issues.

We are very supportive of each other, passionate about helping people and come from a wide range of backgrounds.

Not at all. The people we support live all over Powys and some people like support by phone or online, so even if you live outside of Powys, that is okay.

Similarly, some people like support in the evenings or daytime, or weekends.

And even if you only have a brief window of time available, for example Wednesday afternoons, we can usually offer you a client to fit that availability.

Whatever you are able to offer will be appreciated.

The bereavement support training starts with a few pages of distance learning – nothing too intense but a good grounding for the face to face sessions that follow.

There are 3 days of face to face group sessions over a roughly 7 week period, where you meet other volunteers and get a chance to chat, practice and ask as many questions as you want!

The sessions are typically on a Saturday, with some homework in between each session.

These face to face sessions cover listening skills, grief awareness and skills practice.

You get allocated a mentor/supervisor who is your ‘go to’ person for support, encouragement and check-ins.

This is followed by some additional brief training in safeguarding, suicide and mental health.

We are also developing a bespoke mentoring, training and induction package for people who cannot attend our set training dates.

We’ve all experienced loss, in one form or another.

Having experienced bereavement is not essential as the training explores comprehensively the main elements and effects of death and dying particularly the emotional and practical things commonly experienced.

Grief and bereavement are personal and sometimes private and seldom affect any two individuals in exactly the same way.

Much of the training evolves around the commonalities of grief and bereavement and invites you to draw on your life’s events and knowledge through discussion and contribution.

Grief as an emotion is a common experience for us all and shared experiences enhance reflection and insight into the understanding of loss, grief and bereavement.

However, if you have experienced a recent bereavement of someone very close to you and are still grieving, you may not be in the best place to help others just yet.

Firstly, thank you for your interest.
The next step is to give us a ring and we can have an informal talk through the process: Telephone: 01597 824411 or email bereavment@mnpmind.org.uk

We would be happy to provide you with more information and discuss any questions you may have.

To apply, the first step is a brief application form, followed by an informal chat, were you can ask loads of questions and decide if the role is right for you.

As a bereavement supporter, you would provide emotional support to individuals who are navigating the difficult journey of grief and loss. Your empathy and understanding could make a significant difference in their lives.