"I have had some very low points over the last two years. Counselling has helped me to understand my grief and move to a point where life is getting better."
ABOUT US
Kingston Bereavement Service is a friendly, local charity established in 1988. We support children, young people, adults and families who have been bereaved and are trying to come to terms with the impact that the death of someone close is having on their lives.
We have an adult service and a specialist children and young person's service called the Saying Goodbye Project. Our counselling is provided by a team of around 30 volunteers who have undertaken our compulsory, specialist training programme in bereavement counselling. We also provide bereavement awareness training to other organisations and professionals, including schools, voluntary groups, health and social care agencies, care homes, hospitals and local employers.
KBS is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation, charity number 1160983. We are also a Registered Provider (No. 8AE75) to GPs within Kingston Clinical Commissioning Group and an organisational member of Children England, the Childhood Bereavement Network and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, whose code of ethics we adhere to.
All volunteer counsellors have DBS clearance and undertake adult or children and young people's safeguarding training. We have safeguarding policies and procedures in place, which are reviewed every year.
Visit our Work with Us page for details of any current recruitment opportunities.
OUR OBJECTIVES
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To help people who live, work, study or are registered with a GP in Kingston upon Thames who have been bereaved, to ensure that their experience does not prevent them from fulfilling their potential. Enabling them to heal through resolution and acceptance in order to rebuild a healthy life, re-engaging with family and community.
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Reach everyone in the community who needs us: children, young people, adults, families, those who are disadvantaged, or are socially isolated. We provide specialist bereavement support to those experiencing sustained emotional and psychological distress as a result of bereavement and to those with additional support needs.
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Promote understanding of bereavement in the community so that other professionals who care for individuals may be better equipped to support them when they have lost a loved one. We do this through training and outreach services delivered to other agencies, employers and schools. This increases understanding of the bereavement process and raises awareness of the services available when more support is needed.
Click here to read our Constitution
OUR YEAR IN 2022/23
Click here to read our 2022/23 Annual Report
ADULT SERVICE
368
referrals
934
counselling
hours
198
referred clients accepted and attended an assessments
100% of clients found counselling helpful
47
referrals
SAYING GOODBYE PROJECT
"I can't thank you enough for the sessions provided to my child - they benefitted so much from the face to face sessions."
120
6th Formers received Bereavement Awareness information
33
assessments