Sue Ryder

Grief is hard work and it's no secret that this can have a huge impact on your body, both physically and mentally. We explore some of the physical symptoms of grief that you might not understand or expect when you’re grieving. We advise you to sleep and eat when you can as you will need energy, and try to give yourself treats. This may be a warm bath, or something special to do. And throughout your grief journey, remember that this is a part of being human and that you will start to feel more like you again. Many people even begin to notice new growth in their lives, such as strengths or skills they didn’t know they had. Most importantly, be kind to yourself. Grief is not linear and it can manifest differently in each person. If you need further support, visit sueryder.org/griefguide, where you can access self-help tools and resources alongside expert advice.

This Pride Month we want to acknowledge that grieving can feel different for LGBTQ+ people. If you are an LGBTQ+ person grieving, and you would like specialist support, our Grief Coach text service includes tailored texts for members of the LGBTQ+ community, crafted in partnership with experts to help guide you in your grief. Yours and your loved ones gender identities and relationships will be respected, and the texts will be personalised to your situation. You can sign up at sueryder.grief.coach

Will you speak up for people who are dying or grieving? Now is the time to add your name to our Letter to the Future Government, asking them to prioritise end-of-life care and bereavement support, because nobody should face death or grief alone. It takes just a few moments to add your voice: https://lnkd.in/epeE6TTu

This Father’s Day, we’re sending our support and love to all those who are missing someone special 💙 Whether that’s your dad, child, grandad, or someone else who was a father figure in your life. We would love to hear about your favourite memory of that person in the comments below or share on our Celebrate a Life Wall at https://lnkd.in/e7B42MAE

With the General Election just around the corner, our Head of Influencing and Engagement, Emma V., reflects on what this could mean for the hospice and bereavement sector 👇 Add your voice to our Letter to the Future Government: https://lnkd.in/epeE6TTu 

"It’s far from doom and gloom working in a hospice. The whole idea of palliative care is to live to die – we try and make each day as important as we can." Meet one of our incredible nurses, Angela, who works at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice. She started working at the hospice 14 years ago on a three-month contract. She said, "After experiencing what it was like to work at the hospice I decided to stay. Once I started working in palliative care, I didn’t look back.” "Working in a hospice you are involved in every step of the care with a patient. You have more time to build a rapport with the patients and we really work as a team and have a lot of input with the doctors. "We have done all sorts of things to help people live their last days well, from bringing in lambs when they have been born in the spring, to birthday parties and weddings – it is a very uplifting place. There’s sadness of course but also a lot of happiness working here. “The most rewarding part of my role is supporting someone to die well. It really is a privilege to help someone achieve that." 💙

“My dad, he was someone to look up to. Even though my son only had a few months with him, my dad was able to meet Mark. That's something that I always treasure.” Luke shares his experience of the death of his dad, not long after he had become a dad himself and how our support helped him in his grief. We know Father’s Day may bring up some difficult feelings. Whether you are someone whose dad has died, or a parent whose child has died, please know you are not alone. If you are looking for any support in the lead-up to Father’s Day, find help at sueryder.org/support

As part of our pledge to become more sustainable, staff at Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice recently took part in a ‘Gloves Off’ campaign to reduce non-essential glove use in clinical settings, improve hand hygiene, and reduce waste. This initiative is one of several green measures currently in use at the hospice. Measures include reducing unnecessary plastic, a kitchen garden that grows fruit and vegetables to feed staff and patients to reduce food miles, the introduction of Meat Free Monday and even using donated water reduction taps, staff are determined to do all they can to reduce emissions and conserve energy. Over the week, we had some impressive results: - 1,500 instead of 5,000 gloves were used - a 70% reduction in our normal usage! - In terms of CO2 emissions, there was a saving of 98kg CO2e - the equivalent emissions for driving from Leckhampton to Middlesborough. If this reduced glove use occurred over one year it would save five tonnes of CO2e, which is the same emissions produced as four return flights to New York! these figures include the gloves being produced, transported, used and disposed of by incineration. - The savings in glove use in one week added up to 12.25kg. Over a year, this would save 637kgs of gloves, which is the same weight as eight humans! We will be taking our learnings forward to keep on improving our sustainability and minimising our impact on the environment 💙

This Volunteers' Week, meet 82-year-old hospice volunteer, John Clayton, who won our Everyday Hero award at a ceremony celebrating colleagues and volunteers from across our charity. As a long-standing volunteer, John began volunteering with us after we cared for his wife, and for his mother-in-law. He tells us, “After my mother-in-law died, Pauline, my late wife, became a volunteer gardener at the hospice. She did that for 10 years. Then Pauline was diagnosed with cancer and passed away at the hospice. It will be nine years ago next month. “That’s when I got involved with volunteering. It’s very difficult to describe exactly what I do - it’s basically anything anyone asks me to do!” In recent years, John has displayed many talents, taking on the role of resident Father Christmas, events photographer and technology whizz, and as a keen gardener he regularly brings in home-grown vegetables for staff. He also helps with social drop-in bereavement groups and attends the Sue Ryder Grief Kind Spaces in the local area. About receiving the award, he says, “I felt a bit overwhelmed - I’m a big fella, but, in a lot of ways I’m quite shy! I’m incredibly proud of it and know Pauline would have been too.” We want to say a huge thank you to John, and to all our volunteers for all you do 💙 To find out more about volunteering at our hospice, please visit sueryder.org/volunteer

This Pride Month, meet Malachi Clarke, Administration Team Manager at Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice. He tells us, “Coming for my interview after being on paternity leave for the last 10 months I was worried about needing to explain the gap in my employment and the length of this. I was worried how I would be seen and how I may be judged. "Upon coming for my interview the first poster I saw was about the rainbow badge training - I knew immediately I could be open about being a pregnant trans man and that I would feel safe and comfortable doing so and being myself. In my interview, I was met with the utmost respect and understanding I am so grateful and proud of Sue Ryder's inclusion.”