Surrey families supported through coronavirus losses
Many have been left struggling after losing a loved one to coronavirus.
As we mark six months since the start of lockdown this week, a Surrey charity is highlighting the impact on families and friends who have lost loved ones to coronavirus.
Cruse Bereavement Care say they have helped many who have been affected by the virus - and that extra government funding has boosted services.
The charity, which has local branches in South West Surrey, South East Surrey, Surrey North, and Epsom, Ewell and Mole Valley, was awarded funding by the Government in June to provide additional support through its existing National Helpline to bereaved people affected by the pandemic.
The funding has also allowed the charity to develop its current infrastructure, including increasing the current Helpline team through new recruitment, reallocation of staff and enrolment of existing, locally based Cruse Bereavement Volunteers; extending the opening hours of its Helpline; and creating a new webchat service.
The training of the new volunteers has also allowed the charity to prepare for a second wave of the virus and the subsequent uptake in demand for its services in the coming winter months.
Andy Langford works for the charity - he tells us people are affected in other ways too:
"So what we are finding is the increase in loneliness and thus isolation for people means they are experiencing increased levels of depression and anxiety, increased levels of hopelessness, alongside their grief."
He described the means by which they can help:
"We can do it by any means, whether online, or on the phone, or even someone prepared to write it down - we can still read it it and respond.
"So even if we can't meet face-to-face, as we'd want, we can reach people, and we can support people."
The average call time to the National Helpline has already increased from 15 to 18 minutes in the last three months.
If you would like to find out more about becoming a Cruse Bereavement Volunteer in your area, or for the national helpline, check out the charity's website https://www.cruse.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer
Nadine Dorries, Minister for Bereavement (Non-Financial) said:
"The COVID-19 pandemic is shining a light on the invaluable assistance that bereavement support charities and organisations provide.
"Cruse has done an amazing job over the last 60 years in ensuring that people who have lost loved ones are supported in their time of need, and they continue to do so during this incredibly difficult time.
"I am delighted that this funding will help to ensure that Cruse can meet the increased demand."
The current UK death toll sits at just over 41,777, meaning over 250,000 extra people are now grieving as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and since the start of June the charity has received more than 15,000 calls to its helpline supporting bereaved people.