Imagine a community Bereavement Peer Support Group created by the people, for the
people—where ownership, leadership, and support are all born from within.
This workshop invites you to explore grassroots resilience, autonomy, and
connection. Your organisation can play a vital, strategic role— EMPOWERING and
offering light-touch guidance while entrusting local individuals to lead and grow their
own sustainable Bereavement Peer Support group/service in their neighbourhood;
something of which they take ownership, whilst you provide ad-hoc support from a
distance.
· Locally Owned & Managed: Groups formed and led by residents who understand the heartbeat of their community.
· Tailored Support: Flexible and culturally relevant peer support that evolves as needs change.
· Long-Term Sustainability: Built-in ownership nurtures long-lasting engagement and legacy.
· Shared Purpose: Strengthens connections and encourages collaboration across local initiatives.
What this means for your Organisation
· Strategic Engagement: Empower without micromanaging—ad-hoc support keeps things agile and efficient.
· Real Impact: Invest in capacity-building that creates lasting transformation, not dependency.
· Scalable Model: Easy to replicate across regions while tailoring each group to local dynamics.
· Positive Reputation: Championing true community empowerment speaks volumes.
In this 2-hour, interactive workshop, Jan Massiah will share the journey of the first
STAR Bereavement Peer Support Group which was set up, in South Bristol, in 2019.
During this workshop you will hopefully consider how you might support your own
communities to do something similar. Jan will share the learning that took place and
how this group went from strength to strength, becoming a model that was replicated
in multiple communities over time.
The workshop will cover the following and more!
· An introduction to the STAR Bereavement Peer Support model
· Inspiration for setting up the community-based peer support group
· Identifying need and establishing what the group does (and doesn’t) do
· Importance of adopting a Strengths Based Approach and exploring assets in the community to create sustainability growth and endurance
· Developing a pathway for people to engage
· Explore the importance of a group establishing clear guidance, good practice and
