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Sue Ryder launches Grief Kind Classes

GOOD launches Grief Kind Classes with national bereavement charity, Sue Ryder. The classes contain advice from bereavement experts to help people better support their loved ones when they are grieving. They have been specially designed as part of Sue Ryder’s national Grief Kind campaign which launched in 2021, and are available to watch for free by visiting sueryder.org/GriefKind.

Based on the overwhelming success and engagement in the Grief Kind campaign so far, which has helped over 100,000 people since launching, the classes form the next stage in the campaign. The classes are 25 minutes of content, divided into five videos structured around frequently asked questions of how to support someone who is grieving. GOOD conducted research into the most searched and unanswered questions people have when supporting someone who is grieving. GOOD and Sue Ryder then worked together to build the classes around those questions.

The classes are hosted by Sue Ryder’s in house bereavement experts. Their knowledge and experience give viewers practical advice on how best to support someone who has been bereaved and help people to understand more about how the person is feeling.

This next phase of the campaign is specially designed to reach a broader audience; in phase one, the Grief Kind cards provided an immediate tool for people who need to support someone who has just experience a bereavement. The classes meet the needs of a wider audience who might be supporting someone sometime after a bereavement or anticipating the need to support someone in the future.

Grief Kind is based on audience insight which found that people want to better support friends and family who are grieving.  Sue Ryder’s research found that four out of five bereaved people felt that people around them didn’t know what to do or say when they were grieving. Sue Ryder wants to give the nation tangible advice, products and services to solve this societal problem.

Since launching in 2021, the campaign has smashed all targets indicating a clear societal need for the services it provides. Overall, Grief Kind has helped over 100,000 people to date. The first stages of the campaign included Grief Kind cards, and over 65,000 cards have been ordered with over 90% opting in to email communications. The Grief Kind podcast has had over 19,000 listens and there have been more than 20,000 unique landing page views.

Bryn Attewell, Executive Creative Director at GOOD said “From the beginning, working with Sue Ryder on Grief Kind has been incredibly important to us. The opportunity to respond creatively and provide the nation with the tools to respond to grief with kindness is one we have been proud of. Continuing the campaign with the vitally important classes will ensure even more people can support those they love after a bereavement.”

Bianca Neumann, Head of Bereavement at Sue Ryder, said: “Everyone’s experience of grief is unique, but you don’t have to be a trained counsellor to support someone who has experienced a bereavement.

“We need to start meeting grief with warmth and acceptance, rather than fear.  It’s time to begin the conversation, instead of shying away because we are worried about saying the wrong thing or think it might make the bereaved person feel worse.

“The Sue Ryder Grief Kind Classes address those common questions or concerns someone might have when they are supporting someone who is grieving. Our expert bereavement counsellors help give practical advice on how to support someone through grief and how to look after yourself – the supportive friend – too. We hope that these videos will help people feel more comfortable talking to someone who has experienced a bereavement and supporting them through their grief.”