Charity Friends Together to expand into Tonbridge

A £3,750 grant from Kent Community Foundation will enable the charity Friends Together to open a new bereavement group in Tonbridge.

Friends Together is a grassroots bereavement charity supporting the communities of West Kent. They applied to Kent Community Foundation for financial support to open a new group in the Tonbridge area to meet the increasing demand for their services.

Christine Parker, Chair of Trustees, Friends Together said:

“Older people are especially vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation which can lead to depression and a serious decline in physical health and well-being.

“People can become socially isolated for a variety of reasons and the loss of spouses and friends feature highly in the causes of social isolation and may leave surviving partners feeling vulnerable. Loss or bereavement may come as the result of a death but is often also associated with a partner being moved into a residential or terminal care home. 

“Bereaved people need somewhere to go when the day seems impossible to deal with. Very few need counselling or any other kind of clinical intervention; they do need somebody to listen to them: they do need care and compassion to help them through the dark days. They need friends. The funding from Kent Community Foundation will partially fund our administrator and a new bereavement group in Tonbridge alongside contributing towards the costs of outings.” 

Natalie Smith, Director of Grants and Impact, Kent Community Foundation said:

“One of the five areas of priority for our funding is projects that support the elderly. Friends Together supports the elderly through bereavement groups across Tunbridge Wells and neighbouring villages and we were delighted to award them a grant of £3,750 to expand their services.  We wish them every success with the new group in Tonbridge and thank them for the help they offer to people in the west of the county.”

The established Friends Together bereavement groups meet in Hadlow, Paddock Wood, Tunbridge Wells and  Pembury and the new Tonbridge group will meet monthly in Tonbridge Methodist Church, Higham Lane on the third Friday. 

More information about Friends Together can be found at: www.friendstogetherbs.org.