University of Bristol Launches First-Ever Grief Research and Community Engagement Centre

By Vaidant April 29, 2025
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The University of Bristol in the United Kingdom has launched a pioneering Centre for Grief Research and Community Engagement, aiming to transform how society approaches death, loss, and bereavement.

In a country where grief often remains a taboo subject, the new Grief Centre seeks to change public attitudes, foster understanding, and build a more compassionate and connected community. It will focus on interdisciplinary research, creative therapies, and community-driven initiatives to support bereaved children, young people, and wider society.

The Centre will bring together researchers, healthcare professionals, voluntary sector organisations, artists, creatives, policymakers, and funders to develop innovative interventions and knowledge exchange activities. By combining academic research with real-world impact, the initiative hopes to reshape grief literacy across the United Kingdom.

Co-founders Dr Lucy Selman and Dr Emily Dawson, also behind the award-winning Good Grief Festival, are leading the project. They are working in collaboration with a £2.4 million national partnership funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council to address coastal health inequalities.

Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol, emphasised the civic importance of the Grief Centre: “The Centre will strengthen the University’s commitment to collaborations with local charities, faith groups, communities, and artists, enriching our academic work on grief, loss, death, and end-of-life issues.”

The Grief Centre will officially deliver its first in-person public engagement event during Dying Matters Awareness Week, from 5 to 11 May 2025. This event will serve as a platform to promote grief literacy and share community experiences.

Professor Selman outlined the vision for the Centre: “We aim to create a pioneering space combining research, education, policy, advocacy, enterprise, and innovation. The Centre will establish the University of Bristol as a centre of excellence in grief research.”

Dr Dawson highlighted the commitment to inclusivity, noting that bereaved individuals from minority ethnic, sexual minority, and economically deprived backgrounds in the United Kingdom often face significant barriers to support.

With this new initiative, the University of Bristol is positioning itself as a leader in grief research and community engagement on both a national and global scale.

Source: SHIKSHA

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