Embracing Grief  

Online Taster Event with The Embracing Grief Team 

Co-facilitated by Bilal, Sarah & Tony Pletts

The Event

If you’re curious about what we do, or if you’ve been to one of our events, and just want to come along to say hello, we’d love to welcome you at this introductory event. It’s free, but please book a space to receive the zoom link.

Expect  an introduction to Grief Tending, and a chance to ask questions about the events we offer. This isn’t one of our Support Circles, so you won’t be expected to share personal stories, or go into a breakout room. You are welcome to be in your pyjamas, cooking the dinner, knitting, or watching with others.

You can find short videos about our approach on our website here https://www.griefsupport.org.uk/videos/ and see more information and upcoming events on our website: https://www.griefsupport.org.uk/.

Grief Tending: A Path to Aliveness

Grief is not something to fix - it is something to feel. In the face of heartbreak, loss, disconnection, or overwhelm, Grief Tending offers a supported space to meet whatever is true for you. 

Inspired by the work of Sobonfu Somé, Malidoma Somé, Joanna Macy, Francis Weller, Martin Prechtel, and Maeve Gavin, Grief Tending weaves together ancient wisdom and contemporary practice. It helps us remember how to be human - feeling, connected, alive - in the presence of others.

This event is for you if you're seeking support with grief in any form - whether you're navigating the loss of a loved one, the pain of disconnection, fears for the future, or a grief that has no name. 

To see more about what happens in a Grief Tending workshop, and the practice of Grief Tending for grief support, there are a series of short animations HERE.

If you have any questions, please email Sarah welcome@loveandloss.co.uk .

Your Facilitators 

ABOUT YOUR EMBRACING GRIEF FACILITATORS 

Please note the team may be different on the day, and will include at least 2 Embracing Grief Facilitators

Sarah Pletts (she/her) has spent over 1500 hours facilitating groups exploring grief. She brings an embodied understanding of mortality and consent to the practice of Grief Tending. She has come through chronic illness, been a care-giver, and has a deep connection with the natural world. She is a queer artist-maker who designs experiences that inspire, and creates beauty through ritual (www.loveandloss.co.uk). You can find her hand-drawn animations at www.griefsupport.org.uk/videos. She is a co-founder of Embracing Grief CIC, and co-leads the ‘Apprenticing to Grief’ training with Sophy Banks. She lives in Hackney with partners, chosen family and a rabbit. 

Tony Pletts founded his art direction and construction company Einstein’s Octopus in 1987, a flexible business that's allowed him to pursue other creative paths. Tony’s made radio programmes for BBC Radio 4 (his North Korean mini series was nominated for a SONY) and has just finished his first book, Love To The Power Of Three. Tony is also a trustee for the charity WAYout, a free at the point of use creative ‘University of the Street’ that works with street youth in Sierra Leone. Here he teaches both online and in person when he has the opportunity to visit. A rich and varied life has frequently exposed Tony to the teachings of grief and he started facilitating workshops with Sarah in 2019.

Bilal Nasim is a facilitator, trainer and artist exploring what it means to be alive and our relationship with death. Bilal is an experienced Grief Tender and has been holding grief spaces since 2018, including workshops aimed specifically for POC and those identifying as men. Bilal hosts workshops on confronting death, Death Cafe‘s, and is training as a death doula with Red Tent End Of Life Doulas. Bilal is a senior leader at Mycelium, delivering award winning programmes on personal resilience, inclusive leadership and workplace culture.

Embracing Grief Ethics Statement:
https://www.loveandloss.co.uk/ethics-statement/

Previous Feedback

“Great session, helpful to have an idea of what to expect during events. Really great opportunity to ask questions and counter any anxieties. Thank you.”

“Clear information, well held, welcoming and truthful. I now want to dive in deeper.”