Supporting those affected by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

When a public figure dies, the emotional response we experience as individuals can be overwhelming. Although we might feel sad at the loss of the person, we may find ourselves experiencing feelings of personal loss and a past bereavement too.

There is no ‘right way’ to grieve, no rules about how somebody will feel, and how long it will take. But there are some things that people who have been bereaved say can help, and some coping strategies that may not serve the bereaved person so well.

We hope the links and resources shared here offer support if you, or someone you know, needs it.

Bereavement support for you or someone you know

The bereavement support page on the South West London ICS website has information about organisations in your local area that can support you with your bereavement.  There are also links to organisations that work across the whole of England, and a section with faith based organisations.

You will find a short description of each organisation and the type of services on offer.  These include information and signposting, one to one and group support, specialist counselling and mental health services.

There is also contact information and a link to each organisation’s website to help you find the most appropriate bereavement support for your own experience of loss.

South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust have published a guide to support available following a bereavement or upsetting event.

The following websites provide bereavement support for wherever you live in London:

• Cruse Bereavement Care – offers a helpline, webchat, and local services alongside bereavement support, advice and information to children, young people and adults.
• The Good Grief Trust – helping the bereaved acknowledge their grief and provide reassurance, offering a virtual hand of friendship and ongoing support.
• At A Loss – a signposting website for anyone bereaved and those supporting them.

London’s digital wellbeing service, Good Thinking, has a helpful bereavement section on its website about loss and grief, including resources to help you cope with loss and support others who are grieving. Within this, Good Thinking has a guide for practitioners on how to provide culturally sensitive bereavement support and a range of faith-based bereavement resources.

Further professional help and support

There are a range of helpful listening services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

• When life is tough the Samaritans are here to listen at any time of the day or night. You can talk to them about anything that’s troubling you, no matter how difficult. Call free on 116 123.
• The helpline team at The Silver Line can offer information, friendship and advice to older people and link you to local groups and support services. Call 0800 4 70 80 90.
• Get confidential 24/7 text support from Shout for any time when you need immediate assistance. Just text “SHOUT” to 85258 for free.

You can get further support from NHS-approved online resources. For example, to help build resilience and maintain good wellbeing, there’s a range of resources for everyone at Every Mind Matters. As well as London’s digital mental wellbeing service, Good Thinking, which promotes proactive self-care for the four most common mental health conditions: anxiety, low mood, sleeping difficulties and stress.

Whilst grief is a natural response to loss, some people may need additional, specialised support to help them to cope. Anyone who is feeling overwhelmed by their grief can call their local NHS urgent mental health helpline. You can call for 24-hour advice and support for you, your child, your parent, or someone you care for – support is available for all ages.

If you do not require urgent support but are still concerned about your mental health, contacting your GP is a good place to start. You can also refer yourself for free, non-urgent NHS talking therapies, or psychological therapies, services which provide evidence-based treatments for depression and anxiety.

Thrive LDN has created a space called Help Yourself and Others to help share ideas and resources to help improve our wellbeing or to find out how to support others.