A collection of useful services and support

We appreciate how impossibly distressing this time is might be for you and your family. With this in mind, we hope the list of contacts below may prove helpful. Do contact us with suggestions for ideas not featured here.

Help following a bereavement

Bliss, for babies born premature or sick: Bliss

Booklet: Click here for Grieving The Loss Of Someone.

Booklet: Click here for Transgender Funeral Support.

The Counselling Directory has a huge network of counsellors across the UK. Counselling Directory

Child Bereavement UK helps children and young people, parents and families, to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies: Child Bereavement UK

The Compassionate Friends support bereaved parents and their families after the death of a child of any age and whatever the cause: The Compassionate Friends

Cruse offers counselling suppport, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies: Cruse Bereavement Care

The Good Grief Project is dedicated to understanding grief as a creative and active process: The Good Grief Project

Longfield Hospice provides care for adults in Gloucestershire affected by life-limiting illness. They also offer support for their carers and families: Longfield Community Hospice Care

Macmillan Cancer Support’s advice on coping with bereavement: Macmillan – Coping with bereavement

Sands, the stillbirth & neonatal death charity: Sands

Sue Ryder Hospice offer bereavement support via an online community and an online counselling service: Sue Ryder Hospice

Sunflowers offers suicide prevention and support for bereavement by suicide: Sunflowers Suicide Support

Winston’s Wish supports children and young people after the death of a parent or sibling: Winston’s Wish

A selection of books for children – good for adults too! 

A Child’s Grief by Di Stubbs et al

As Big as It Gets: Supporting A Child When Someone Is Seriously Ill by Julie A Stokes et al

Badger’s Parting Gifts by Susan Varley

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst

Michael Rosen’s Sad Book by Michael Rosen

Milly’s Bug-nut by Jill Janney

Muddles Puddles And Sunshine by Diana Crossley

Some churches with burial space (for parishioners only):

• Amberley
• Brookthorpe
• Cranham
• Fretherne
• Hardwicke
• Harescombe
• Horsley
• Lasborough
• Leckhampton
• Leonard Stanley
• Minchinhampton
• Miserden
• Pitchcombe
• Sheepscombe
• Whaddon
• Woodchester: Church of the Annunciation (Roman Catholic) and St Mary’s (Anglican)

Ashes burial: most parish churches will have a small space in the churchyard for the burial of parishioners’ ashes, with a tablet marking the spot.

Council-run cemeteries for local residents only:

• Stroud: new cemetery at the end of Horns Road. Stands below the better-known but unused Bisley Road Cemetery.
• Brimscombe: off Brimscombe Hill, in the ‘meadow’ strip of land near the top.
• Frithwood (Chalford)
• France Lynch
• Painswick Cemetery

Green Burial sites

• Bath: Haycombe Cemetery; Midford Natural Burial Meadow.
• Bristol: Bristol Memorial Woodlands; Kingswood Remembrance Park; South Bristol Cemetery; Arnos Vale Cemetery.
• Cheltenham: ‘Green Burial’ option in the grounds of the Cemetery and Crematorium.
• Gloucester: ‘Green Burial’ option in the grounds of the Cemetery and Crematorium.
• Staunton, North Gloucestershire. Greenfields Woodland of Remembrance. (No website.)
• Forest of Dean: Coleford Cemetery Natural Burial Ground.
• Slimbridge: the far end of the cemetery. (Double cost for non-residents).
• Swindon: Westmill Woodland Burial Ground.
• Monmouth: Usk Castle.
• Warwickshire: Sun Rising Burial Ground between Banbury and Evesham.
• Wider afield: there are many others across the UK. Contact The Natural Death Centre on 0207 359 8391
  or www.naturaldeath.org

Secular venues for funerals

• The Bear of Rodborough, GL5 5DE: Flexible and accommodating, with private conference/dining rooms overlooking the garden.
• Chavenage House, Tetbury, GL8 8XP: Ancient Elizabethan country mansion, unashamedly haunted, huge fireplaces and panelled rooms. Exquisite small private chapel, biggest lawn in Gloucestershire. Personally and eccentrically run by the homely Lowsley Williams family.
• Kingscote Barn, between Horsley and Kingscote, GL8 8YE: Very proper Cotswold, newly-restored barn – a wedding venue, primarily.
• Lansdown Hall & Gallery, Stroud, GL5 1BB: Old Temperance hall from 1879. Run by a voluntary, charitable organisation, on lease from Stroud Town Council. Old pine floor, church-type windows, raised stage, lighting rig, sound system, licensed. Doors to Bank Gardens.
• Masonic Hall, Merrywalks Hill, Stroud, GL5 3BY: Certainly unusual with its Masonic portraits and history etc, but a decent local and accommodating Stroud venue.
• The Matara Centre, Kingscote, GL8 8YA: Beautiful private facility with tasteful Eastern spiritual flavour. Full kitchen, music facilities. 
• Saxon Barn, Leonard Stanley, GL10 3NP. Dating back to the 10th century, this historic and lovingly restored barn can seat up to 100 people. No on-site catering but food can be brought in.
• Stonehouse Court Hotel, GL10 3RA: Caroline Suite conference building alongside 17th century manor house; big windows overlooking six acres of tidy lawns and gardens. 
• Stroud Subscription Rooms, GL5 1AE: Recently refurbished and relaunched, the Subs is a fantastic central Stroud location with easy parking, bar and catering facilities and a choice of rooms from the George Room downstairs at the front of the building to the large Regency-style ballroom upstairs.

Local venues