Cruse Bereavement Care is delighted to announce that our new Trustee Michael Whitehouse (right) was awarded the OBE in the New Year honours list. Michael is Chief Operating Officer, National Audit Office and was honoured for services to Public Sector Audit.
Members of the Funeral Poverty Alliance, including Cruse Bereavement Care, the National Bereavement Alliance, Marie Curie and Quaker Social Action, have written to the Minister of State in the Department of Work and Pensions, Baroness Altman, asking her to meet and discuss reforming the Social Fund Funeral Payment, and look at the wider problem of funeral poverty.
The Cruse Bereavement Care Annual Review 2014/15 Join us shows how we worked together with our volunteers, supporters and staff to make a real difference to the lives of bereaved people last year.
Cruse Bereavement Care is showing its support for Children’s Grief Awareness Week 2015 (19 to 25 November) by raising awareness of bereaved children’s needs. The week kicks off with international Children’s Grief Awareness Day on 19 November and continues with a week of activities across the UK.
Five new trustees have been appointed to Cruse Bereavement Care, joining the Board of Trustees led by Chair, Fiona Edwards. The new trustees bring a wealth of expertise including policy, planning, senior management, commercial skills and finance. Their experiences cover both the private and public sector.
The new appointments will mean the Board of Trustees has a greater representation and which will support Cruse to effectively deliver our strategic plan and vision.
Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with all those affected by the attacks in Paris – those who died, those who have lost loved ones, those who were injured and those who witnessed the attacks.
At Saturday's Cruse Bereavement Care Annual General Meeting Chair of Cruse Fiona Edwards opened proceedings, saying: "We go into our sessions today with thoughts of the terrible events in Paris always present as we focus on our ongoing work to help bereaved people."
New research by Royal London reveals the cost of an average, basic funeral in the UK has increased by 3.9%. This is higher than annual UK inflation of 1% (as measured by RPI). The average funeral is now £3,702 – up £140 from £3,562 in 2014.
The new Index reveals the cost of a funeral continues to be a postcode lottery. Funerals range from £2,976, for a cremation in Greenock, to £7,216 for a burial in Beckenham, Kent – a difference of £4,240.
Often companies have not given any thought as to how they treat bereaved customers, Cruse Chief Executive Debbie Kerslake said today on Radio 4's You and Yours programme.
The programme featured Louise Smith, who faced countless difficult and stressful phone conversations after her husband died in 2011.
People who have been bereaved by suicide have used their experiences to lead the revision of a support guide to help others affected by someone taking their own life.
Cruse Bereavement Care and Samaritans are launching a series of free support groups, named Facing the Future, for people bereaved by suicide.
Each group, with a maximum of eight participants, will provide vital and tailored support to those who have lost someone to suicide, as well as providing an opportunity to meet others who have had similar experiences.