A LOCAL charity is launching a bereavement café with the aim of bringing together and supporting those in the community who have experienced the death of a loved one.

Tynedale Hospice at Home will open the café at Hexham Community Centre on September 2.

The Hospice said they have seen a growing number of people requiring pre and post-bereavement support since the coronavirus pandemic.

Sylvia Ritson, Senior Family Support Practitioner, said: "The last 18 months have been incredibly challenging for everyone and even more so if you have experienced the death of someone close.

"People haven't had access to their usual networks of family and friends and often have not been able to spend times with loved ones before they died which has caused inevitable heartache.

"Funerals, which can provide comfort for families in celebrating the lives of their loved ones, have been affected by the national Covid restrictions, meaning people may not have been able to provide the send-off they would have wished, and this can have a negative impact on the grieving process."

The Hospice said the café, which will operate on a drop-in basis, will offer a "safe and comforting space for people to come together, regardless of how recent or how long ago their bereavement was".

Trained members of the Family Support team from Tynedale Hospice at Home will be on hand.

Sylvia said: "We know how daunting it can be, coming into a room of strangers, particularly after this long period of isolation.

"Grief can often feel like a lonely place and we want you to know you're not alone.

"Making connections with others who have shared similar experiences can make such a difference."

The café will take place on the first and third Thursday of each month 10.30am-12.30pm and is free, although donations to the charity are welcomed.

For more information, please telephone the Family Support Team on 01434 600 384.