BEREAVED residents and those with a life-limiting condition could soon have a place to meet others for mutual support in the Tamar Valley.

St Luke’s Hospice is in partnership with Williamstown Cafe in Gunnislake to decide how best the site could host a compassionate cafe.

Williamstown Cafe is already a community hub offering activities for different groups within the community.

Nadine Newman, Williamstown Cafe owner, invited the Gunnislake community and the St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth community development team to plan the project.

Judy Horne, hospice community development worker, said care of the dying and bereaved had become over-medicalised and society was very dependent on the health and social care system.

She said: “When someone is in the last months of life, only five per cent of time is spent in contact with health and social care professionals – what about the ninety five per cent? That’s a long (equivalent) time if you looked at in within a 24 hour period.”

Anne Dixon, support worker, explained a compassionate community supports each other to improve the experiences for those living with a life-limiting illness, care-giving, dying and grieving.

They care for people affected by these experiences, connecting them to support, raise awareness around end of life issues, and build supportive networks.

This helps people to live well and with dignity until the end of life. Nadine said the cafe would be a place to provide a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on.

Nadine and the Gunnislake community hope to host the first compassionate cafe in Williamstown Cafe on Wednesday, February 14, from 1pm to 3pm and thereafter o open monthly.

Details from Nadine at [email protected].