Tamworth Co-op help bereavement group

Tamworth Co-operative Society has boosted the funds of a vital bereavement support group – and is also helping it to establish a base in the town after a gap of several years.

Amanda Woodward, Tamworth Co-op’s general funeral manager, this week presented a cheque for £145 to Sue Williams, chair of Cruse South Staffordshire.

Tamworth Co-operative Society’s funeral manager Amanda Woodward, deputy funeral manager Bill Galvin and Sue Williams, chair of Cruse South Staffordshire, pictured at the cheque presentation.

Tamworth Co-operative Society’s funeral manager Amanda Woodward, deputy funeral manager Bill Galvin and Sue Williams, chair of Cruse South Staffordshire, pictured at the cheque presentation.

The money was part of the proceeds from the Society’s annual Christmas carol and memorial service held at St Editha’s, which also helped to raise money for the historic town centre church.

Sue Williams said the cash would be used to finance the helpline which is sometimes the first point of call for people of all ages in need of bereavement support.

“We offer a free, confidential service, but are constantly in need of funds and more volunteers who receive excellent training,” she said.

“The Tamworth Co-op has been absolutely brilliant to us. Not only have they given us this much-needed money, they have also offered us the use of rooms in their main funeral premises where we can meet people in need of our specialist help. The Society’s fantastic support is on an ongoing basis and in addition to one-to-one sessions, we also hope to hold coffee mornings there for people who like to be part of a group.”

The link-up with the Society means that for the first time in nearly a decade, South Staffordshire now has a base in Tamworth.

“That is massive because we have huge demand for our services from the Tamworth area,” added Sue Williams.

“We last had a base in Tamworth about eight years ago but it had to close because of costs.”

Amanda Woodward said the Society was delighted to be supporting the local Cruse branch.

“We understand just how important their work is and we are pleased to have enabled them to have a base in Tamworth again.

“The work carried out by South Staffordshire Cruse volunteers helps families to deal with the pain of grief and restores hope. We are very happy to support and encourage their efforts.”

South Staffordshire CRUSE is a charity which supports people of all ages, including children, who have lost a loved one. To contact Cruse South Staffordshire call 01543 433479, email southstaffordshire@cruse.org.uk or call the national helpline on 0844 477 9400. Information is also available at www.crusesouthstaffordshire.co.uk