Grief Cafes: What are they and why should I join?

For many of us, grief is a lonely journey, and too many people don’t find the support they need. Grief Cafes are a great way to find support among like-minded people and to experience the support of an informal, supportive, and non-judgemental community.

In collaboration with Lytham and St Annes libraries, I’m running monthly grief cafes to support people experiencing grief or loss of any kind in the local community.

When is it?

Lytham:

11am to 12pm, every 2^nd Wednesday of the month at Lytham Library

Assembly Rooms, Dicconson Terrace, Lytham, FY8 5JY

St Annes:

Our first session is on Tuesday 23^rd June, 11am to 12pm, at St Annes Library

254 Clifton Drive South, Lytham St Annes, FY8 1NR

From 7^th July, every second Tuesday of the month, 11am – 12pm

Why should I come along?

• Coming along to a grief café can have a range of benefits:

• Grief Cafés are a good source of signposting, especially when you’re not sure of what you’re looking for or where you need to go for additional help.

• It’s completely free to attend.

• It’s a lovely opportunity to meet new people who can relate to the journey that you’re on.

• It’s a safe space to express your whole range of emotions, it’s not all about the sadness.

• There’s no qualification or timeframe needed to attend - you don’t need to have a specific loss to qualify or even to have experienced loss recently. Anyone is welcome.

• We only meet once a month in each location.

• You don’t have to commit to coming regularly, so why not give it a try?

What happens at a grief café?

You don’t have to let me know you’re coming, you can just turn up. However, if you’re nervous or unsure about what to do, get in touch and let me know you’re coming, and I’ll be there to welcome you when you arrive. I’m also happy to have a chat ahead of the café date, so that you’ll know at least one friendly face.

There are no expectations to participate or share. You are very welcome to participate in the discussions, but don’t feel that if you come, you’ll be expected to talk about your grief. Whilst the café is a space to share your feelings and experiences, many of the conversations we have are about general life, and often there is a broad range of topics and a good amount of humour involved.

I’ve never been before; do I need to register in advance?

No there’s no need to register, you can just turn up. Anyone is welcome to attend, you can bring someone with you if you’d like, and there’s tea and coffee available.

What if I don’t want to come back?

That’s no problem. You’re welcome to come along to a café and try it out, and it might not be for everyone. There’s no obligation to commit to coming every month at all.

I’m not grieving a bereavement, can I still come?

Yes! Grief is about loss no matter what causes the pain. Anyone with any grief of any kind is welcome to attend the session. It doesn’t matter how long ago the loss happened, or whether it feels minor in comparison to other losses – there’s no hierarchy when it comes to grief. Our grief cafes are a safe and non-judgemental space where grief is normalised and not something to be scared of.  

If you want more information you can pop into either Lytham or St Annes libraries and ask at the desk, or you can get in touch.