Support services

Below we have listed some support services that are available. This is not a complete list, and we cannot endorse any particular organisation.

Some of these services are specific and others are open to anyone for any reason. All services listed have contact details. You can get in touch with them for more information or to find out if they can offer the support you need.

A Support after a Bereavement leaflet is also available on our Bereavement support leaflet page, it is available in English, Polish, Punjabi and Urdu. The leaflet contains general as well as specific information for people who have lost someone suddenly to suicide or drugs.

General

Baby and child

Deaths by alcohol and drugs

Palliative and expected

Road

Support for a LGBT person

Support for a person with a learning disability

Support for carers

Support for children

Support from a person of faith

Trauma and suicide

Antenatal Results and Choices

ARC is a national charity providing support to individuals bereaved following the loss of a baby as a result of a prenatal diagnosis. This loss may be recent or many years ago.

ARC can also provide emotional support to anyone who has been given worrying news about their pregnancy.

ARC offers practical advice, independent information and individualised support to parents whose baby is diagnosed with any condition or anomaly.

ARC have a moderated forum for parent members to make contact with others who have lost a baby following a prenatal diagnosis, in order to provide support and lessen the sense of isolation.

Further support is available from a Volunteer Support Network made up of trained parent volunteers who have themselves faced difficult decisions about the future of their pregnancy, giving them a unique insight into support newly bereaved parents.

ARC also have a range of publications which describes some of the complex physical and emotional issues parents may face after a prenatal diagnosis.

Booklets are also available for fathers, children and grandparents.

For help or more information:

Baby Loss Retreat

Supports families trying to cope with the death of a baby and pregnancy loss by providing a quiet environment to help couple talk about their experience. Offers counselling and support groups.

For help or more information:

BRAKE

A service to support people bereaved and seriously injured by road crashes, or if you are supporting a road crash victim.

You will be assigned a named Brake caseworker who can help from day one onwards, for as long as you need over the phone or by email.

For help or more information:

Breathing Space

A free, confidential, phone service for anyone in Scotland over the age of 16 experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety.

Provides a safe and supportive space for you to talk, Breathing Space can also offer advice and provide information.

For help or more information:

  • phone 0800 83 85 87
    Monday to Thursday, 6pm to 2am
    Friday to Monday, 6pm to 6am
  • visit Breathing Space

Carers Information Line

If you are an unpaid carer, family member, friend or professional you can contact the Carers Information Line for advice and a listening ear.

For help or  information:

Carers UK

Carers UK have published some guidance to help you deal with the emotional and practical impact of losing someone.

For help or more information:

Child Bereavement UK

Child Bereavement UK provides confidential support, information and guidance to families and professionals.

Child Bereavement UK helps children, parents and families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies.

They can support children and young people up to the age of 25 who are facing bereavement and anyone affected by the death of a child of any age.

For help or more information:

Childline

Childline is available to help anyone under the age of 19 in the UK with any issue they are going through –big or small.

Childline counsellors are trained staff and volunteers and all calls are free, even if you have no credit on your phone.

For help or more information

  • phone 0800 1111 (if you are calling from an o2 mobile and wish to speak to Childline, call 116 111 or use the chat option)
  • visit Childline

The Compassionate Friends

The Compassionate Friends (TCF) is an organisation of bereaved parents offering support, understanding and friendship to others after the loss of a child, of any age, from any cause.

They offer a national telephone helpline, staffed by bereaved parents only, who are available for support and information 365 days a year. They also offer a website and moderated online forum, local support contacts and groups, weekend gatherings and retreats, information leaflets, bereavement support publications and a postal library. Some specialist sibling support is also available.

TCF run online and in person support groups for a parent or a sibling bereaved by suicide.

This group is available to support a parent who has been by bereaved by suicide (regardless of the age of their child who may have been an adult). The group can also offer support to a sibling (aged 18 years plus) and grandparents who have been bereaved by suicide.

For more information on this particular group, please contact Linda Paterson (Group Facilitator) linda.patterson1@live.co.uk.

For help or more information:

CRUSE Bereavement Care Scotland

Helpline with trained volunteers is available if you are bereaved and feel you need some advice or someone to talk to.

One-to-one counselling also available.

For help or more information:

  • phone 0808 802 6161
    Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm
    Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 2pm
  • visit CRUSE

Families Affected by Drugs and Alcohol Use

FASS offers free confidential support, advice and information to family members who have been affected by a loved one’s drug or alcohol use.

For help or more information:

Glasgow City Youth Health Service

Glasgow City Youth Health Service is a holistic, confidential health and wellbeing service available to young people aged 12 to 19 years. The service operates in evenings at locations throughout Glasgow City and is open to any young person with a Glasgow postcode or registered with a Glasgow GP practice.

For help or more information:

LGBT Helpline Scotland

For help or more information:

LGBT Youth (aged 13 and over)

You can access Live Chat with trained Youth Workers, for more information:

For help or more information:

Lifelink

Lifelink can offer support to anyone who is struggling to cope with everyday stress or is feeling anxious or depressed.

Issues such as bereavement, addiction, self-harm, suicide and problems with relationships can all interfere with a person’s quality and experience of life.

Lifelink can offer one to one counselling and other services for adults who are aged 16 or over and who are resident in Glasgow City.

For help or more information:

Macmillan Information and NHS Bereavement Centre

This is a new service based at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, predominantly for those living in the North East of Glasgow but can offer signposting and advice if you live out with this area.

The team can provide emotional and practical advice around what to do when someone dies. They can also offer support with complex bereavement issues, bereavement counselling and benefits advice to help cover the cost of the funeral.

The team can also help you access other organisations that can help, including local support groups.

A drop-in service is available Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 4:30pm.

For help or more information:

Maggie's Glasgow

Offer practical, emotional and social support to people with cancer and their families and friends.

For help or more information:

Mencap

Mencap have published resources for families and carers as well as Easy Read guides to support people with learning disabilities when dealing with a bereavement.

For help or more information:

Mind the Men

Mind the Men is a suicide prevention peer support group where men (18 years plus) can meet in a safe place to talk about their challenges, be listened to and feel supported.

Weekly face to face support groups are still running as well as online meetings where you can access peer support in a non-clinical setting.

All clubs are free of charge, and open to all men aged over 18 years.

For help or more information:

Miscarriage Association

The Miscarriage Association is available to provide support and information to anyone affected by miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or molar pregnancy.

For help or more information:

PAPYRUS

PAPYRUS provide confidential support and advice to young people (aged under 35 years) who are struggling with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person through a helpline.

For help or more information:

  • phone 0800 068 4141
    daily, 9am to midnight
  • text 07860039967
  • visit PAPYRUS

People Experiencing Trauma and Loss (PETAL)

Provides free bereavement counselling for people experiencing trauma and loss.

Core services support families and loved ones bereaved by murder, culpable homicide and suicide.

PETAL are offering counselling services via telephone and online appointments.

For help or more information:

Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice

The Hospice supports families (patients, family members, children and young people) pre and post bereavement in the south side of Glasgow (specifically G5, G41, G42, G43, G44, G45, G46, G51, G52, G53, G53, G76 and G77).

Family Support Services offer a variety of professional services:

  • counselling
  • emotional and practical support
  • social Work support
  • group work
  • training
  • parent and caregiver support

Services for Children and Young People (pre and post bereavement):

  • Butterfly Service for Children and Young People up to 12 years
  • STAGES for young people from 12 to 21 years

For help or more information:

Richmond’s Hope

Richmond’s Hope is a project for bereaved children, young people and their families. It can work with children and young people aged between 4 to 18 years.

The project aims to provide a safe time and space for the children to explore their feelings and impact of the death on their lives.

Sessions can vary depending on the need of the child or young person, however they would normally be offered one to one sessions using therapeutic play and creative activities to explore feelings.

For help or more information:

River Clyde Memorial Group

The River Clyde Memorial Group has been formed to support bereaved families who have been touched by lives lost in the Clyde. They also raise awareness of wider suicide prevention strategies in Glasgow and to monitor water safety possibilities along the Clyde.

For help or more information:

The Samaritans

Available for any person in distress or who needs someone to talk to.

For help or more information:

  • phone 116 123 (any day, any time)
  • visit Samaritans

Sands (stillbirth and neonatal death charity)

Sands offer bereavement support to anyone who has been affected by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after a birth.

Supports offered include: a free helpline, a bereavement support app for parents, families and carers and UK-wide support groups with trained befrienders an online forums for connecting with others similarly affected by a death.

For help or more information:

  • email glasgow@sands.org.uk  (emails are aimed to be responded to within 48 hours except during weekends when the helpline is closed)
  • phone 0808 164 3332
    Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm
    Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 6pm to 9pm
  • visit Sands

Sandyford Counselling and Support Service

Sandyford Counselling and Support Service offers a safe, confidential, reliable and judgement free place to talk to a trained professional.

Providing counselling to individuals who have sexual or reproductive health issues or concerns which are affecting their psychological sexual well being. Included are issues faced by women who have had a termination of pregnancy.

For help or more information:

Scotland's Campaign Against Irresponsible Drivers (SCID)

SCID aims to provide practical and emotional support for families bereaved by a road crash. Support is given by those who have been bereaved themselves, and is without limit of time.

For help or more information:

Scottish Care and Information on Miscarriage

Miscarriage Support provides counselling for women and couples in Scotland who have suffered miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal loss.

For help or more information:

Scottish Cot Death Trust

Scottish Cot Death Trust aims to provide holistic bereavement support for all family members or anyone affected by the sudden and unexpected death of an infant.

For help or more information:

Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs

Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs offer free counselling to anyone living in Scotland who has been bereaved through alcohol or drugs.

For help or more information:

Spiritual and Health Care Chaplaincy Team

If you are looking to speak with someone regarding spiritual care and support, please contact the Spiritual Care and the Health Care Chaplaincy Service which is available to offer compassionate, person-centred care to people of all backgrounds, faiths and belief groups and none. You can make contact 7 days a week between 9am-10pm by contacting the main switchboard (see number below) and asking to speak with someone in the Spiritual Care Team.

For help or more information:

  • email chaplains@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
  • phone 0141 201 1100
    main switchboard, Chaplaincy Team available Monday to Sunday, 9am to 10pm

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS)

If you have been bereaved or affected by suicide in any way, are over 18 years old, and would like to contact a volunteer about your experience you can get in touch with SOBS.

You can get in contact using the helpline, by emailing, by joining a support group or by joining their online forum.

All volunteers who work with SOBS have themselves been affected by suicide and can offer peer support.

SOBS run virtual groups at the moment while there are restrictions on face to face meeting.

For help or more information:

Switchboard - Grief Encounters

Grief Encounters is Switchboard’s newest project, funded by the Rainbow Fund who are supporting them in developing this new initiative.

For more help or information:

Touched By Suicide Scotland (TBSS)

TBSS can offer support to individuals bereaved by the suicide of a family member or friend, whether the death was very recent or some time ago.

Face to face support groups run in Scotstoun and Easterhouse. You can access more information on these by phoning or emailing TBSS.

For help or more information:

Victim Support Services

Offers free and confidential support to families and next of kin affected by a bereavement as a result of crime.

For help or more information:

Winston's Wish

Winston’s Wish provides bereavement support to children, young people and their families.

They can provide expert advice and guidance on supporting a grieving child or young person after the death of a loved one for anyone who may be involved with supporting the child or young person.

For help or more information:

  • phone 08088 020 021
    Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
  • visit Winston's Wish