An event to create awareness around how to navigate the process of losing a loved one is being held this weekend in Doncaster.

In the run up to National Grief Awareness week from 2 to 8 December, the event titled ‘Coming Together Through Life and Loss’ is taking place this Sunday at Memoria Doncaster in Barnby Dun.

The day will host a range of activities with attendees having the opportunities to speak to a variety of people who may be involved in the grieving process.

This will include specialist funeral directors, celebrants, and others experiencing bereavement.

Tracy Beavis, 61, set up the event as a Founding Director of the CIC (community interest company) ‘Found My Niche’ which has been offering help since May 2024.

When starting the peer support groups following the loss of her parents, she saw a significant gap in people being able to access affordable help and has since become a Certified Grief Specialist.

She said: “Every day it becomes more and more apparent just how little support there is out there, or if there is support people don’t know about it.”

The event is in collaboration with Be Well Doncaster, a community health and wellbeing organisation, so people can be reliably informed about both grief and the week of awareness.

It has been promoted to be a multi-generational, multi-cultural and multi-faith gathering so everyone is welcome and parents are being encouraged to bring children along.

Mrs Beavis said: “The sooner children learn about grief and dying, the more normalised it’ll become and the less of a stigma there will be linked to it.”

She highlighted the importance of people being able to talk about their loved ones in a space free of judgement and hopes this event furthers that message.

Talking about her work being a vehicle to bridge the gap of accessing support she said: “We’re here to stay and we’re not just a flash in the pan.

“What we’re doing is making a difference and I will keep banging that drum.”