New partnerships helps expand Bereavement Café support

Wednesday 22nd Jul 2026

Forest Holme Hospice Charity is delighted to announce that its growing network of Bereavement Cafés is now supported by Leonardo Carer Support through the Leonardo Friends scheme, helping ensure free, compassionate support remains available for local people living with grief.

The charity has also partnered with Marjorie House, part of Care South, to open a third Bereavement Café at its beautiful Sandbanks location, extending access to the much-valued service across the community.

Bereavement Café provides a welcoming space for anyone living with loss. Open to everyone, regardless of whether their loved one received care from Forest Holme Hospice, visitors can talk, listen or simply enjoy a cup of tea with others who understand. Trained volunteers are also available to offer a listening ear and, where appropriate, signpost people to additional support.

The first Bereavement Café opened in 2024 at Lighthouse, Poole, before expanding to Colin’s Nest at Eagles Mount Care Home and, most recently, Marjorie House in Sandbanks.

Leonardo Carer Support works to ensure unpaid carers across Dorset can access meaningful advice and support to achieve the quality of life they want, need and deserve. Through its Leonardo Friends scheme, it is now supporting Forest Holme Hospice Charity’s Bereavement Café network.

Hannah O’ Hare, CEO at Forest Holme Hospice Charity, said, “We are incredibly grateful to Leonardo Carer Support for supporting this important service through the Leonardo Friends scheme, and to Care South for partnering with us to host our newest café at Marjorie House. Together, we are making compassionate support more accessible to our local community.”

The Bereavement Cafés are free to attend and no referral is required.

For more information, including café dates and locations, click here.