The Reason

The purpose of this website is to act as an independent resource to provide practical resources & direction for anyone experiencing shock, grief, trauma or loss - in whatever stage of their journey.  

Having lost both of my parents at a young age, I feel I have experienced a level of grief and loss which has given me insight into what it like to be lost in loss. 

During those dark times, I remember feeling stuck, hopeless and unable to find direction. But eventually, with the support of friends, family and me reaching out to others, I developed a 'new norm' and an adjusted way of living with loss.

Whilst I was living with intense grief, I was keenly aware that those around me often didn't have the words or ways to support me. There were times when I felt people actively avoided me, perhaps to dissolve themselves from the awkward encounter of having to acknowledge my situation. 

Or sometimes we simply carried on, as if nothing had ever happened. But despite all of that, that was OK. I understood it was hard for them too, and was OK.

And I learnt quickly that there is never one, "correct" way to respond to loss. There is no right or wrong words; nor protocols around what one should/shouldn't do or say when offering support. I expect it's hard on everyone. Even now, despite my own journey, I too find it hard to know what to say or do; and sometimes have that feeling of helplessness when someone I love is hurting.

So, I've created this. If not to help me too. If you are someone looking to support someone experiencing grief, I hope this resource goes some way to providing ideas and direction; what might be appropriate in the circumstances; and ideas for ongoing support -- because grief is not linear; it's an ongoing process that waxes and wanes with time and memories. Sometimes hitting out of nowhere; triggered by memories, anniversaries and the like. But having someone to support, I believe, makes those times just that little bit easier.

I created this resource based on a feeling that we need to bring our community closer together. We live in busy and fast times, where everyday life can be chaotic, and sometimes  overwhelming. 

Loss is an inevitable part of life, and whilst it's never nice to encounter, we can all get better at supporting each other along the way.

The purpose of this website is to act as a directory to anyone searching for help during troubling, sad or difficult times. My hope is to facilitate connection between those who need help, with those who can provide it; and to offer practical suggestions &  inspiration to people wanting to offer support along the way. 

My commitment is to create an unbiased, collaborative space, where people can connect, experience and hopefully share suitable resources to help others on their journey. 

Because there is no right or wrong way to grieve, I invite all contributors, from all cultures, ethnicities, walks of life and age groups to contribute and share their experience of what worked for them. 

There are many different ways to grieve; often determined by differing cultural and religious traditions & protocols. Let this be a space in which to share these ways, in a bid to know & understand them and therefore come from a place of respect when supporting someone who is grieving or experiencing lost.

The goal of this website to is create a pool or resources and offer a suite of tools to help anyone - and everyone - experiencing grief in their own, unique way.