Volunteering in bereavement: motivations and meaning

Abstract

Bereaved people often say that friends, family and colleagues avoid talking to them about their loss. Indeed, sometimes people will cross the road to avoid engaging with them. This project sought to understand why ordinary people come forward to volunteer to help those who have been bereaved and what this experience means to them. Stories gathered from eighteen volunteers at Cruse Scotland suggested that their own experience of bereavement was the main motivating factor and that volunteers found significant meaning and growth through involvement in this work.

Keywords:

• volunteering
• bereavement
• motivations
• meaning

Acknowledgements

We are indebted to the volunteers who were so willing to take part in the project and to share their stories with such openness and honesty. 