The Living with Loss (LWL) project started in 2016 with our very first bereavement support retreat at the Greenhouse Christian Centre in Poole, Dorset. This followed the publication of Abi’s book: “A Valley Journal”.
Since that time, we have run around 32 retreats around the UK. Mostly these are the initial “Part 1” retreats but also includes some follow up events, as well as some for those bereaved in specific ways. On average there are around 12-14 participants. (Follow up events are often larger.)
With the goal of supporting people who are grieving, we also run a successful blog/website: www.avalleyjournal.co.uk We post an article around once a week and have a topical archive, all free to access with no charge. There have been 44,000 visitors to this blog.
Whilst continuing to run retreats and workshops, LWL branched out in new directions in 2020. We started running courses on Zoom, both for those who had attended retreats and new people who found us via the internet. These Zoom groups have continued since then.
Another new direction was the launching of the Grief Companion training course. This provides grief awareness and basic “life skills” training for those who wish to do more to support people in their social, family or church network who are grieving. Once we started running the courses on the Zoom conference platform, this programme became well established and usually runs about twice a year.
Although at its heart the LWL project comes from a Christian perspective, everyone is welcome. Not everyone who attends our events has a faith. We have also run courses for people of other faiths, with sensitivity and acknowledgement of their own faith perspectives.
It was clear from that very first retreat 2016 that this LWL project has been helpful.
- It brings people together in a supportive, safe environment
- It provides them with some “grief education” and opportunities to explore their feelings
- It offers hope for the future, helping participants explore ways to grow their lives around their grief
- It offers genuine comfort from those who may be struggling with their faith, which is all too common for those profoundly bereaved
- It offers continued friendship amongst people in similar circumstances
- It provides a context to remember and celebrate memories of loved ones
- It also works towards creating better grief awareness and support.
You can read what people say about our events here
Our events are intended for those over the age of 21. All are welcome: individuals, couples, clergy. Events are attended by a range of people who have been bereaved in a range of ways. Many of our participants have been bereaved of their spouse, husband, wife or same-sex partner; some are bereaved of their child or children; others of multiple family members or of friends. We occasionally run special events for those bereaved in traumatic ways, such as through suicide.
Living with Loss is a member of the National Bereavement Alliance.
The LWL project is managed and run by Abi May.
This page has links to recent interviews with Abi.
We appreciate donations and sponsorship, although this has never been a project for profit. The goal has always been to help those who are struggling with their grief, in honour of the memories of Catherine and Pax, Abi’s children. If you would like to donate to help keep the project going or show your appreciation, you can visit our GoFundMe page here. Thank you!
Return to the Home Page, where you will find a full list of pages on this website.
Living with Loss 