ADVICE for bereaved people who are worried about finances will be on offer at a special event in York.
This month's Bereavement Café at The Yorkshire Barn Café at Murton will focus on how to cope with financial pressures at a time of grief.
It will highlight some of the assistance offered by the City of York Council through the Here To Help scheme (www.livewellyork.co.uk/TalkMoney) with an expert on hand to answer questions.
The council’s welfare benefits manager will be giving a short presentation followed by a Q&A at the event on Monday, April 15, from 10.30am until 11.30am.
York celebrant Fiona Brown, who runs the monthly term-time Bereavement Cafe meet-up, said: “We are delighted that the council’s expert is joining us for this session as we know that managing finances is a concern to many.
“When a loved one dies your world changes and for some this may mean that making ends meet becomes increasingly stressful.
"Day-to-day living may become problematic when the household income is affected, especially if, for instance, you are unable to work through emotional distress, where your loved one was a wage earner, where social security benefits may have dropped to a single person.”
She added: “There are so many reasons why financially it may be a struggle but you aren't alone and through groups like The Bereavement Café at The Yorkshire Barn, we hope to give each other support, be a shoulder to lean on, a listening ear when times are tough.”
“Having a guest speaker from the council may help to signpost people to where help may be available.”
Councillor Katie Lomas, executive member for finance, performance, major projects, human rights, equality and inclusion at City of York Council, said: "We want all residents to benefit from support with their finances at every life stage.
"When people are struggling with bereavement, we understand that they may find the expense of a funeral and a sudden loss of income difficult to bear. Our teams support people who are struggling financially, in a holistic and sensitive way. They support them to maximise their income, budget and, where possible, to save a little regularly – please get in touch so we can help."
The event will begin at 10am with a complimentary cuppa and cookie from The Yorkshire Barn Café, then the presentation on financial wellbeing.
Fiona added: "There is no need to book but it would be helpful if people could indicate their interest on the Yorkshire Barn Café’s Facebook event’s page, just so that we have an idea of how many cookies to bake!"
The Yorkshire Barn Café is located within the main building of Murton Park (formerly The Yorkshire Farming Museum). Entry to the café is free but if you wish to explore the grounds and other attractions of Murton Park, then a ticket will need to be bought. A yearly pass to Murton Park is £14 for an adult £12 for a child (over two years of age).
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