Balsall Common widow appeals for bereavement cafe volunteers

Tony McAtamney collapsed in his hotel room while on holiday in Spain

A widow is appealing for volunteers to expand a network of bereavement cafes.

Tracey McAtamney, from Balsall Common in Warwickshire, started the monthly meet-ups in 2019, after she lost her husband.

She hopes to extend the two-hour sessions, currently held in five venues, to other parts of the county.

The cafes are designed to help people navigate grief and support anyone feeling sad or isolated after a bereavement.

"They offer a relaxed, safe environment to talk with others who are going through similar circumstances," she said.

Mrs McAtamney, pictured with sons Oliver and Anthony, has published a book about her journey with grief

Tony McAtamney died suddenly while on a golfing holiday in Spain, leaving his wife, then aged 38, with two young sons.

Her own experience of grief taught her people needed support with both emotional and practical issues.

"After someone dies you find yourself surrounded by paperwork. I realised quickly that people needed help," she said.

Her Surviving Bereavement foundation currently operates pop-up cafés in Balsall Common, Coventry, Kenilworth, Leamington Spa and Solihull.

If further volunteers come forward she plans to introduce further sessions in Stratford-upon-Avon and Nuneaton.

"The cafe role is perfect for anyone with time to spare, is compassionate and can offer a listening ear," Mrs McAtamney said. "Memories must always be treasured and talked about. They mustn't be the elephant in the room."

Volunteers, pictured at a Kenilworth bereavement café, offer a sympathetic ear

Surviving Bereavement also offers legal and financial advice and provides memory boxes, which, like the cafes, are funded by sponsorship.

The widow, who is now a qualified grief counsellor, said her goal was to help others find the "light at the end of the tunnel."

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