Around 60 people came together at Rowcroft Hospice on Friday 17 July for the hospice’s Spaces for Grief conference – a day exploring compassionate, creative and holistic approaches to supporting people through grief and bereavement.
The first conference of its kind to be held at Rowcroft, Spaces for Grief brought together people with a shared interest in grief and loss, including those with lived experience of bereavement, healthcare professionals, therapists, volunteers and others involved in supporting people through some of life’s most difficult moments.
Rowcroft Hospice’s CEO Mark Hawkins welcomes attendees to the charity’s first Spaces for Grief
The day featured a wide range of speakers and workshops exploring different ways of understanding and responding to grief. The programme opened with a keynote session, When Words Are Not Enough: Creative Responses to Grief, led by Jane Harris and Jimmy Edmonds, authors and founders of the Good Grief Project, exploring how creativity can help people express and navigate experiences of loss.
Attendees explored a range of therapeutic approaches to grief, including the use of creative practices such as pottery, therapeutic writing and reflective journalling, alongside discussions around the importance of using non-medical language around dying and how this can shape experiences of grief before and after bereavement. The day provided opportunities for learning, connection and conversation, with musical accompaniment from Rowcroft’s Music Therapist in the hospice’s Rainbow Café.
The Grief Tending Workshop held in the marquee in Rowcroft’s gardens invited participants to reflect on and share experiences of grief. Participants then placed petals in water as a symbolic act of release, before the water and petals were returned to the earth beneath a tree in the grounds.
The event concluded with a panel discussion showcasing Rowcroft Hospice’s holistic approach to grief support, bringing together members of the hospice’s multidisciplinary team, including bereavement counselling and listening support, social work, spiritual care, music therapy and complementary therapy.
Anastasia Somerville, Bereavement and Support Coordinator at Rowcroft Hospice, said: “Grief is a deeply personal experience, and there is no single way to support someone through it. Spaces for Grief was about creating an opportunity for people to come together, share ideas, challenge assumptions and explore different ways of helping people navigate one of life’s most difficult experiences.
“It was inspiring to see so many professionals from different backgrounds learning from one another. By working collaboratively and embracing a range of approaches, we can help ensure that people experiencing grief feel understood, supported and less alone.
“At Rowcroft, we recognise that grief affects every aspect of a person’s life. That’s why our support extends beyond traditional bereavement services, bringing together expertise from across our multidisciplinary team to care for people emotionally, practically, spiritually and creatively.”
Francesca Raymont, Lead Therapist from Children and Families in Grief, attended the event and said:
“What a fantastic day the Spaces for Grief was. It was rich on a personal and professional level… a day for great learning, personal development and networking with others in the same field. It was truly enriching and much appreciated by myself and the others in our team at Children and Families in Grief.”
“From the moment I arrived at Rowcroft and stepped into the lush grounds, I sensed it was going to be a special day,” said counsellor James Breed. “I found the experience profoundly moving. The learning did not seem to reach me primarily on a cognitive level, but through the body. It felt as though the insights were received with a quiet, tender power. More than any particular theory or concept, it was the way the day was held, the heart, the compassion, and the deep care shown both for those who are dying and for those who remain that will stay with me.”
The conference reflects Rowcroft Hospice’s ongoing commitment to sharing knowledge, encouraging collaboration and helping build stronger support for people living with grief across the local community.
For more information about Rowcroft Hospice’s work, visit: rowcrofthospice.org.uk
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Lead photo: Authors and founders of the Good Grief Project Jane Harris and Jimmy Edmonds discuss creative responses to grief when words are not enough.
About Rowcroft Hospice
It takes time, compassion, medical expertise and money to help patients with life-limiting illnesses and their loved ones to make the most of every day, but every year Rowcroft Hospice helps around 2,500 people in South Devon to do just that.
By providing comfort, support and specialist services, the hospice enables families to share precious moments when they are needed most – whether it’s a beautiful wedding, remarkable reunion or a simple thank you.
From Dartmouth to Dawlish and up onto Dartmoor, Rowcroft cares for 80% of its patients in their own homes with a team of community nurse specialists, social workers, and bereavement volunteers. The team also provides occupational therapy, physiotherapy, complementary therapy, spiritual care and music therapy, delivering a holistic approach tailored to individual needs.
Day and night, Rowcroft’s award-winning Hospice at Home team provide free specialist support to patients at home in their last few of weeks of life. The team helps to monitor and manage symptoms to enable patients to be comfortable and also offers support for loved ones, enabling carers to take much needed breaks. The service includes a dedicated telephone support line 24 hrs a day.
In Rowcroft’s 12-bedded Inpatient Unit in Torquay, the hospice’s team provides specialist care for patients whose complex needs cannot be met at home. Along with high quality health and social care, we also offer delicious homecooked meals and access to our beautiful gardens. The welcoming and homely environment helps patients and families to make the most of precious time together.
Rowcroft is an independent charity with around 75% of its funding derived from the incredible generosity of local people. The hospice team fully acknowledges the current challenging economic climate and is grateful for the local community’s continued support through these tough times; every pound raised makes a real difference.
With an increasingly ageing local population, the demand for Rowcroft’s care has never been greater. The charity currently cares for around one in three people with life-limiting illnesses across South Devon and has ambitious plans to expand its care to reach more people.
For more information, please visit www.rowcrofthospice.org.uk
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