Below are details of all our planned events. Others may be added – sign up for email updates to stay up to date.
If you’re new to grief tending, here’s more information about what a Grief tending workshop is and how they work face to face and on line. You could also check out these videos which answer some of the questions people have about tending grief with others. Deep gratitude to Sarah Pletts for their creation!
Workshops coming up
- Half day Zoom workshops – these happen roughly once a month, see dates below and book here
- Grief tending by the Lake WEEKEND – Sept 30 – Oct 1st. Details below. This is now full with a waiting list. See the Grief support website for other weekend events in Sept / Oct.
- Apprenticing to Grief in person programme: Monday 16th – Saturday 21st October 2023. This programme is full with a waiting list. We will share details of the next programmes here – see this page for more information about the Apprenticing journey.
- Book now for the winter residential Grief tending in community weekend, from Nov 30th – Dec 3rd. In stunning surroundings, we create a powerful container where all grief is welcome, and joy, tenderness and warmth are also part of the journey. Details here
- If you’re interested in attending a deep dive from your own home be in touch about the 2 day Loving Life, Welcoming Grief workshop – it’s a simple, affordable way to join a profound grief journey.
“The work continues to surprise me, especially how much it opens me to joy, aliveness and connection. I really believe it holds the seeds of healing most needed at this time.” Apprenticing to Grief online participant
On line Grief Tending – Short workshops
Book here for all half day on line workshops
- Held on Zoom, these are 4 hours long, and give a rich taste of shared grief tending. Many have been suprised at the depth of expression and witnessing that is reached in these sessions – perhaps a testament to how natural shared grief tending is for us.
- Each session includes calling in support, building safety and trust; stirring and connecting to grief; a ceremony or practice to express, witness and share grief; time for soothing and integration, and preparing to return.
- Facilitated by Sophy, unless shown otherwise, with skilled support.
- Cost: £37 – 70 sliding scale. Please be in touch if you need a low cost place.
- DATES FOR 2023:
- Wednesday 11th October 9.30am – 1.30: Grief circle
- Friday 10th November 3 – 7pm: Writing out grief
- Friday 15th December 3 – 7pm: Grief circle
Booking form is here.
Grief tending by the lake
Full with a waiting list.
There are other weekend Grief tending workshops in Sept / Oct hosted by Grief Support
Give your grief space to move in this two day, in person event in a beautiful, peaceful place. Saturday 30th Sept – Sunday 1st Oct.
“It might feel that the hardest step you might ever take is the one to join this grief tending session, but you will never take a more meaningful, more helpful, more welcoming and a more healing step than this, so take that one step and walk towards your grief..” CD, 2023 participant in 1 day workshop by the lake
Express grief through movement, writing, and ceremony. Be held in the wider field of water, woodland and the group. Staying overnight makes it possible to find a deeper connection to the place and each other, to share stories or songs by a fire under the night sky, and take a dip in the lake.
- Date and times: Saturday September 30th 9.45am – 6.00 pm (approximate ending time) and Sunday October 1st 9.30am – 4.30pm. If the weather is dry we will be able to eat outside with a fire. Either bring your own food, or we can jointly arrange to have food delivered.
- Cost: £145 – £290 sliding scale for the workshop. Camping £15 / night, B&B accommodation on site £35 / night
- Self catering – bring your own food plus something to share for lunches
- Where: a stunning location beside a lake in private woods, a mile from Sunningdale train station (Waterloo – Reading line). Full details with booking.
- Facilitated by Sophy plus an experienced team
- Contact us if you need more information
- Book here
Apprenticing to Grief
If you’re wanting to deepen your relationship with grief, or gain more skills to hold space for the grief of others, join us for this profound journey into the powerful landscape of shared grief tending.
‘..an essential experiential training that was insightful and transformative. I gained in depth knowledge and understanding of the different types of grief, ethics and safe practice which supported a broader awareness of the complexities involved, and the range of skills needed and opportunities available that would support me to work in the future of grief tending. Thoroughly recommended.”
NP, Apprenticing to Grief online participant
For full details see the Apprenticing to Grief page
Apprenticing to Grief in person
- An intensive journey to explore grief tending held at High Heathercombe, a stunning location high on Dartmoor.
- Monday October 16th – Saturday October 21st
- If you are interested, please read detailed information about the programme and how to apply, here.
- See the Apprenticing page for latest information about the on line version, starting in early Spring 2024.
Grief tending residential workshops
Nov 30th – Dec 3rd residential deep dive – booking is open
High up on Dartmoor we will gather to honour and tend grief. In our temporary community we create supportive banks of the river through beauty, time in nature, shared connection, warmth and tenderness.
All grief is welcome at all these workshops. Whether you are with personal loss or bereavement, healing from past wounds, impacted by world or local events, or acknowledging the pain of those who went before still moving in your family or community, with what feels frozen or numb, what you bring is welcome.
Residential grief tending workshops allow us to go deeper. We will share different processes where grief can be expressed and witnessed, working with the body, words, sound, images, song, land and more.
As social, political, ecological and other crises intensify, giving space to honour and tend the natural life force energy of feeling can help reduce exhaustion, and bring a sense of deep connection and meaning. It can help us be kind to self as well as those around us.
Shared with others in a space of beauty and care allows grief to be a restoring, healing presence, weaving us back into the wider field of being human.
“I was surprised at how much laughter and joy as well as tenderness and warmth there was alongside the grief” – 4 day participant
If your grief feels large, or stuck, or you just would like the expansiveness of a spacious journey we recommend this workshop.
- Winter – Thursday November 30th – Sunday December 3rd
- Cost: £360 – £540 sliding scale includes all residential costs plus facilitation by a team of 6. Please let us know on your booking form if you need a bursary or to pay in instalments
- Food is plentiful, delicious, organic and vegetarian / vegan
- Accommodation in small dormitories or camping
- Facilitated by Sophy and Jeremy plus an experienced team of assistants
- Book here
loving life, embracing grief
“This is deep and powerful work which I highly recommend” CA, participant
Being on-line makes Grief tending affordable and accessible for those who feel comfortable joining from home, without the expense and hassle of travel and accommodation. Many have been surprised by the power of connection and warmth created across distance, and the depth of sharing and grief that this workshop has supported.
If you are interested please be in touch – we don’t have dates scheduled but will be in touch if we know there is demand.
- Usual times: Saturday 10 – 12, 2 – 4pm, 7 – 8.30pm; Sunday: 10 – 12, 2 – 4pm
- Cost: £95 – £185 sliding scale with bursary places available
- Sign up to express interest here
In this generous on line journey we’ll take time to call in ceremony, beauty, connection and support; we’ll share different practices to stir, express and witness our grief; alternate between time online together (2 hours or less) and time following our individual journey off line (2 hours or more). We’ll invite music and movement to help feelings and bodies to release; harvest and integrate as we return to our lives.
Feel free to be in touch if you have questions, or see this page for more information about Grief tending on line
“Do it if the word ‘grief tending’ evokes any sort of emotion. Be with whatever you are present to. It will benefit you. And humanity.” DV, participant
More about Grief tending workshops
See more about our range of workshops, including the shape of the journey, different formats we offer, the mystery of doing deep work on line, and some frequently asked questions.
If there’s something you’re looking for and you can’t find it here have a look at our links page, or get in touch and let us know.