Neville Funerals sees continued demand for bereavement support services

Family run funeral provider, Neville Funerals, has reported a 38% uplift in its Hemel bereavement support groups from January – June this year, along with 44% in Stopsley, 19.4% in Dunstable, and 20% in Luton, when compared to the same period in 2025. Operating its Talking Elephants sessions across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, Neville Funerals supports 10 sessions in total across its 9 branch locations.

Supported by a team from across the business, a total of 118 hours has been dedicated from January to June 2026 to provide a safe space for those experiencing the loss of a loved one.  Reflecting a service that has been hugely well attended year on year, the sessions are run by a wonderful team from across the Neville Funerals branch network.

James Witham, Area Funeral Manager and current lead for the Talking Elephants initiative, said:” We are incredibly proud to provide a service to our local communities which is clearly needed. We’ve seen an uplift in attendance year on year, particularly for our Dunstable branch, which shows the vital importance of consistent, supportive and accessible bereavement care within local communities. Across all 10 sessions, we have also seen attendee figures increase month on month.

“It is clear to see that this service is appreciated and needed across our local communities, but none of this would be possible without our incredible team from across the business. Dedicating their time, helping to support more people than ever, we really are so grateful for the commitment shown by everyone.”

In the first six months of 2026, 59 Talking Elephants sessions have been held, which has included a total of two members of the team at each group. This totals 118 hours of time committed which continues to increase year on year.

According to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, there were 570,988 registered deaths in England and Wales in 2025, an increase of 0.4% compared with 2024. Despite these increasing figures, the Sue Ryder ‘Back for a Moment’ Campaign reports that 83% of people think the UK is bad at talking about death and grief, and 88% of people feel alone in their loss.

James continued: “Despite the rising number of deaths across the UK, as a nation, we still seem to struggle to open up those difficult conversations and talk about death. That’s what makes groups like our Talking Elephants sessions so important. Creating a safe space for people across our communities to come together and discuss their loss supports a greater focus to create accessible conversations.

“We welcome both existing and new attendees constantly. While we have a group of core attendees, we see people come and go from our groups, as and when they need an extra helping hand. Our groups don’t provide professional help, instead they provide a space for people to join together, so they don’t have to experience their grief alone.”