Come and join us at our

Monthly Support Meetings

Held at

Longfleet United Reformed Church
Longfleet Road
Poole

(next to the garage, on the opposite side of the road to the Main Hospital)

1st Wednesday of every month

7. 30 p.m. - 9.30 p.m.

Our Support Meetings

Many people find that it is difficult to get through such a sad time alone and without help.  They often find they feel less isolated when they share their experiences with others who have been through the same heartache.  S.P.R.I.N.G. runs monthly support meetings which are very informal, usually split into groups of no more than 8 people.
These meetings are friendly and relaxed and open to all those who have experienced the death of a baby.  Parents are finding them very helpful so please come along and meet us.  We are sure that you will benefit from them.

S.P.R.I.N.G. welcomes Grandparents, friends and other members of the family at all of its functions.

An Insight into S.P.R.I.N.G.’s Open Support Meetings
 
I first went to an Open Meeting in February 2002, just two months after I lost my son Dominic.  I didn’t know what to expect - how many people would be there - what was expected of me.  I went to the meeting full of apprehension, but with a need to meet others who knew what I was going through.  There were about half a dozen people there and although everyone’s circumstances varied I took comfort from the similarity of feelings and emotions in the room – it helped to ease the loneliness and reduce the niggling doubts about my own sanity.
 
I have been a regular attender over the last three and a half years.  Initially for myself, to help me come to terms with losing Dominic and more recently to offer support to other bereaved parents – although I would be lying if I said I didn’t get something out of every meeting myself! 
 
Open Support Meetings are held on the 1st Wednesday of every month at the Resource Centre near Poole Hospital.  If you are interested in coming or want any more information you can telephone the S.P.R.I.N.G. Office on 01202 448084 (24hr answerphone) or email me directly via our contact form on the menu.   Alternatively you can just turn up on the night – click on Diary Dates on the menu for confirmation of meeting dates.

After my first meeting

Dear Heather & Kate

I just wanted to drop you a quick line to say that I felt totally lifted after leaving my first support meeting last night.  Although I was extremely nervous at first I was amazed at the love and support that was in the room.  I was in total ore of some of the other people there, and I felt so honoured that they shared their feelings with me.  I came away feeling
that I had sort of lifted some of my emotions of losing George.  I now know that some of the things that I had been feeling, I was right to feel and that there are so so many people in the same situation as me, with the same feelings.  My only regret is that I did not join the support group earlier as I feel that I have beat myself up about situations around George's death.  It is quite funny really because I spoke about things last night to total strangers that I would never dream about speaking about to people that know me really well.  What made it even more special was when Leslie told me that a man had come up to here at Chase Manhatten bank that day and told her of his loss and said that he had spent some time in George's Pad.  That made me feel that I had actually done something very worthwhile and that George's death had definitely not been in vain.

Anyway thank you so much for welcoming into the group and I look forward to the next meeting.
 
Best wishes

Maria Seabright