Finding solace together
Welcome to Harrogate District Grief and Beyond, a caring, informal, and wholly peer-led bereavement support group. You will find a safe space to share, heal, and find strength in community, with others who are feeling lost, alone, devestated, empty and a raft of other emotions too. Join us as we navigate grief together, beyond loss and towards hope. Together, we are stronger.
Our mission
At Harrogate District Grief and Beyond, the mission is to provide compassionate support and understanding to each other.
Navigating the journey of grief is a lonely path without support.
We are a peer-led group offering a safe, confidential, informal environment where shared experiences foster healing and resilience. Everyone plays a part to help each other.
Being peer led means no counsellors, no professionals, each person responsible for themselves.
How we help
We are a growing supportive community where we share experiences, gain understanding, build trust and connections with others who have experienced loss and understand the pain of grief.
It is important to understand that no two journeys are the same and there is no time limit on the grieving process.
The overwhelming feeling of emptiness, loneliness and sadness is similar to us all, but we each have suffered the death of a spouse, child, parent or friend.
Each of us have different reasons for finding ourselves here, but we are united in the grieving process.
Our regular, informal, private get togethers over a cuppa, provide a comforting space to be able to freely chat and mutually support each other.
Guided only by by shared experiences rather than formal counselling, you may just feel as though you can breath again as you sit with others who understand you.... because they too are living this nightmare.
Join our meetings in Harrogate for support and understanding.
Every Monday 6.30pm to 8pm
Oatlands Community Centre
Mount Street
Harrogate
HG2 8DQ
Every Wednesday 6.30pm to 8pm
Harrogate Neighbours Community Hub
16 High Street
Starbeck
HG2 7HY
Peer support
What is peer support?
Peer support is when people who have gone through similar experiences come together to help one another.
It is not clinical therapy, but a reciprocal relationship built on mutual acceptance and understanding.
In this group, it means connecting with others who also know what it is like to experience profound loss. The core idea is simple: You are not alone.
The power of shared experience
Grief can be a very isolating experience, even when surrounded by caring family and friends. You may feel like others don't truly understand the depth of your pain. A grief peer support group offers:
Validation: It is a space where your emotions—whether sadness, anger, guilt, or confusion—are normalized because others have felt them too.
Empathy: Hearing another person's story can provide a profound sense of recognition and understanding. When someone says, "I know what you mean," they genuinely do.
A safe space: This is a confidential, judgment-free zone where you can share your story and feelings without fear of upsetting or burdening those closest to you.
Here's what you can anticipate in a peer support setting:
You are welcome to share your story when you feel ready, but there is no pressure to speak. Sometimes, simply listening to others is the most helpful thing you can do.
Everyone here has the capacity to give and receive support. Over time, you may find that helping others brings meaning and purpose to your own grief journey.
Group members often share strategies they have found helpful for managing grief, providing new ideas and resources to consider for your own path.
When you see others who are further along in their grief, it can provide a sense of hope that healing is possible. They serve as living proof that it is possible to live with this pain and create a new future.
Peer support is an important complement to, not a replacement for, professional help like therapy or counselling. While a therapist offers clinical guidance, this group offers the unique, powerful reassurance of knowing that others "get it" on a personal level.
A final thought
This group is a place to connect with others on a shared journey. It is a space for healing together, for breaking the isolation that grief creates, and for feeling seen and understood. You don't have to walk this path alone.
[References
Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
the importance of peer support - Change Mental Health
Change Mental Health
The buddy group – peer support for the bereaved - PMC
National Institutes of Health (NIH) | (.gov)]
Informal meetings
Join our meetings in Harrogate for support and understanding.
Every Monday 6.30pm to 8pm
Oatlands Community Centre
Mount Street
Harrogate
HG2 8DQ
Every Wednesday 6.30pm to 8pm
Harrogate Neighbours Community Hub
16 High Street
Starbeck
HG2 7HY
Join our meetings in Harrogate for support and understanding.
Every Monday 6.30pm to 8pm
Oatlands Community Centre
Mount Street
Harrogate
HG2 8DQ
Every Wednesday 6.30pm to 8pm
Harrogate Neighbours Community Hub
16 High Street
Starbeck
HG2 7HY
Peer support
What is peer support?
Peer support is when people who have gone through similar experiences come together to help one another.
It is not clinical therapy, but a reciprocal relationship built on mutual acceptance and understanding.
In this group, it means connecting with others who also know what it is like to experience profound loss. The core idea is simple: You are not alone.
The power of shared experience
Grief can be a very isolating experience, even when surrounded by caring family and friends. You may feel like others don't truly understand the depth of your pain. A grief peer support group offers:
Validation: It is a space where your emotions—whether sadness, anger, guilt, or confusion—are normalized because others have felt them too.
Empathy: Hearing another person's story can provide a profound sense of recognition and understanding. When someone says, "I know what you mean," they genuinely do.
A safe space: This is a confidential, judgment-free zone where you can share your story and feelings without fear of upsetting or burdening those closest to you.
Here's what you can anticipate in a peer support setting:
You are welcome to share your story when you feel ready, but there is no pressure to speak. Sometimes, simply listening to others is the most helpful thing you can do.
Everyone here has the capacity to give and receive support. Over time, you may find that helping others brings meaning and purpose to your own grief journey.
Group members often share strategies they have found helpful for managing grief, providing new ideas and resources to consider for your own path.
When you see others who are further along in their grief, it can provide a sense of hope that healing is possible. They serve as living proof that it is possible to live with this pain and create a new future.
Peer support is an important complement to, not a replacement for, professional help like therapy or counselling. While a therapist offers clinical guidance, this group offers the unique, powerful reassurance of knowing that others "get it" on a personal level.
A final thought
This group is a place to connect with others on a shared journey. It is a space for healing together, for breaking the isolation that grief creates, and for feeling seen and understood. You don't have to walk this path alone.
[References
Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
the importance of peer support - Change Mental Health
Change Mental Health
The buddy group – peer support for the bereaved - PMC
National Institutes of Health (NIH) | (.gov)]
Informal meetings
Join our meetings in Harrogate for support and understanding.
Every Monday 6.30pm to 8pm
Oatlands Community Centre
Mount Street
Harrogate
HG2 8DQ
Every Wednesday 6.30pm to 8pm
Harrogate Neighbours Community Hub
16 High Street
Starbeck
HG2 7HY
A caring community
Find understanding and compassion in a safe and welcoming environment.
"I am so grateful for the support I received from Harrogate District Grief and Beyond. It's a truly caring and peer-led community."
Emily R.
Contact us
Location
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
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