Stars including AJ and Curtis Pritchard and Jeff Brazier come together to share their ‘grief story’

Famous faces including AJ and Curtis Pritchard, and Jeff Brazier have united to partake in a broadcast called 'My Grief Story' for the UK Commission on Bereavement (UKCB).

Amongst the guests joining them are bereavement experts including author Julia Samuel MBE, social commentator and political activist, Patrick Vernon and CEO of the Good Funeral Guide, Fran Hall. The broadcast will also feature interviews from everyday people who have experienced a bereavement over the past 18 months and beyond.

The broadcast, which is spearheaded by The UK Commission on Bereavement addresses the experiences of mass bereavement during the pandemic and what we can learn from it .The hosts and interviewees also offer suggestions of practical support and advice for those who are currently grieving – from how to reshape your identity after a bereavement to helping children come to terms with the death of a loved one.
Throughout the pandemic, many people facing bereavement did not receive the practical and emotional support that they need, in some cases they had not even been told about the support available to them. A recent survey by Cardiff University's Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Centre and the University of Bristol found that two thirds of respondents reported that they experienced social isolation and loneliness after a bereavement**.

Curtis Pritchard famed for his time on Love Island said: "We both know how difficult processing the death of a loved one can be as our beloved Nana died last year. We weren't able to be next to her bedside like you normally would be, so for us, that was hard. We were one of the lucky families as we were able to go to the funeral - yes there were less people there and we were further apart, but we still had our opportunity to be there in the moment. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for people who weren't able to properly say goodbye to their loved ones.

"We want to make sure that everyone in the UK who is grieving gets the support they need too - whether that's from their loved ones or bereavement professionals and 'm encouraging everyone to join us in sharing their grief story."

Strictly Come Dancing star, AJ Pritchard continued: "Curtis and I are proud to support the UK Commission on Bereavement and we encourage the public to share their grief story so that we can make sure everyone gets the emotional and practical support they need after the death of a loved one. It's been a really hard time for so many people and it's so important we learn from what we've all been through and make sure that people are supported by a network they can rely on when they are grieving."

Author and TV presenter, Jeff Brazier said: "The minute that you share your vulnerability and your truth, it's a relief. I think too many people suffering a loss try to pretend that everything's okay and that they're not hurting. When you're grieving, you need to be talking to someone about it. If we're not talking to our loved ones, then we need to be talking to a professional, because if we're not and we're bottling everything up it builds and can sometimes have a really catastrophic effect."

The Bishop of London and chair of the UKCB, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, said: "We must take time to reflect, remember and celebrate the lives of everyone who has died over the past 18 months, and spare a thought too for those who have been unable to grieve or memorialise their loved ones properly due to lockdown restrictions. We're calling on the public to share their grief story with the UK Commission on Bereavement, so we can ensure that in future people who are grieving are able to access the care and support they want and need."

The UK Commission on Bereavement is made up of a group of 15 commissioners, with the aim of reviewing the experiences of, and support available for, people affected by bereavement through and beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, and to make recommendations to key decision-makers, including the UK Government, as to how it can be improved.

To share your experiences of bereavement and contribute to the review being carried about by the UK Commission on Bereavement visit: bereavementcommission.org.uk/taking-part

The broadcast will be aired at 12pm Tuesday 21st September at https://bereavementcommission.org.uk/events/

ENDS

For more information, contact:
Adam Orr
Marie Curie Media & PR Manager
T: 07469993215
E: adam.orr@mariecurie.org.uk

UK Commission on Bereavement
The Commission's purpose is to review the experiences of, and support available for, people affected by bereavement through and beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, and to make recommendations to key decision-makers, including the UK Government. The Commission is independent of government and is made up of a group of 15 commissioners who were appointed by a steering group of charities including Marie Curie, Independent Age, the National Bereavement Alliance and Childhood Bereavement Network, Cruse Bereavement Care and the Centre for Mental Health.
For more information visit: bereavementcommission.org.uk
Twitter: @theUKCB

About Marie Curie
Marie Curie is the UK's leading end of life charity.  The charity provides essential frontline nursing and hospice care for people with any terminal illness, a free support line and a wealth of information and support on all aspects of dying, death and bereavement. It is the largest charity funder of palliative and end of life care research in the UK. Marie Curie is committed to sharing its expertise to improve quality of care and ensuring that everyone has a good end of life experience. Marie Curie is calling for recognition and sustainable funding of end of life care and bereavement support.

National Day of Reflection - 23 March
An opportunity for the Nation to reflect, remember and celebrate the lives of everyone that died during the pandemic – from Covid and other causes. The charity believes it is important to talk more openly about dying, death and bereavement to improve experiences at end of life and to help reduce the lasting effects of grief.
Please note we are 'Marie Curie' (not 'Marie Curie Cancer Care')
mariecurie.org.uk

REFERENCES
The research is funded by the Economic and Social Research (ESRC) part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Copies of the research findings are available upon request. The pre-print research can be viewed on https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.09.21263341v1

** Survey Results
Table 1: Frequency of end-of-life care experiences

		N	%
Did the care professionals involve you in decisions about the care for your sick loved one? **	Never	155	21.8
	Sometimes	162	22.8
	Usually	98	13.8
	Always	155	21.8
	Not relevant to my situation (e.g. not next of kin, because none were involved)	140	19.7
	Missing	1	0.1
Did you know the contact details for the professional responsible for their care?	Yes	354	49.8
	No	193	27.1
	Not sure	52	7.3
	Not relevant to my situation	109	15.3
	Missing	3	.4
Did you receive information about the approaching death?	No, not at all	126	17.7
	A bit of information	270	38.0
	Yes, I was fully informed	230	32.3
	Not relevant to my situation	83	11.7
	Missing	2	.3
Did you feel well supported by the healthcare professionals immediately after the death of your loved one?	Very well supported	95	13.4
	Fairly well supported	105	14.8
	A little bit supported	139	19.5
	Not at all supported	252	35.4
	Not relevant to my situation (e.g. because none were involved or not next of kin)	120	16.9
Were you contacted again by the hospital or care provider following their death?	Yes	251	35.3
	No	322	45.3
	Not relevant to my situation	138	19.4
Did they provide information about bereavement support services?	Yes (at the time of death)	131	18.4
	Yes (during follow up call)	89	12.5
	Yes (at the time of death and during follow up call)	22	3.1
	No	342	48.1
	Not relevant to my situation	119	16.7
	Missing	8	1.1

*Note that percentages are with respect to those participants who responded "yes" to these items.