Bristol-based mutual insurer National Friendly has joined forces with the Cruse Bereavement Support charity to develop a partnership which aims to help people through one of the most painful times in life – the loss of a loved one.
As its charity of the year, National Friendly will fundraising for Cruse over the next year while also offering other practical support based on its long track record and experience of working with community organisations. 
The Bristol & District Branch of Cruse, which is the UK’s leading bereavement charity, is made up of volunteers who provide services in the community.
Cruse was nominated as National Friendly’s charity of the year by its staff.
According to National Bereavement Alliance’s 2019 report, Manifesto for better bereavement support, 72% of people have been bereaved in the past five years and almost all of us will be affected by the death of someone close at some point.
It also says the number of bereaved people is likely to increase over the next five years as the population both growing and ageing – the number of deaths in England is predicted to increase by 10%.
According to Cruse, there has also been an increase in the number of traumatic deaths people have experienced which come with their own complications, mainly due to Covid-19, as loved ones died and there was no opportunity to attend funerals or grieve in the usual way.
Cruse had to adapt and expand its services so that it could continue to provide support to bereaved people by offering a hybrid service where the client can choose to meet in person, online or on the phone.
National Friendly CEO Graham Singleton, pictured, said: “We have a 150-year history of insuring people and providing them with health and protection cover.
“Our partnership with Cruse is important to us as we want to support those within our local community suffering with grief and loneliness.
“Our charitable and community work has a simple objective – to make a fundamental difference to local lives, both today and tomorrow.
“It’s important that we continue to raise awareness of the free services available to people which will enable us to deal with all kinds of grief as well as the way that we deliver those services.”
Cruse community fundraising & engagement manager Claire Horrex added: “Looking after those around us is in the very roots of who we are.
“We are constantly looking for ways to support the community we serve. We are so happy to have been chosen by National Friendly as its charity of the year and we look forward to working with them.
“Cruse shares a lot of the same values as the organisation, which continues to demonstrate through deeds that they really care about people within our local community.”
The branch is just going back to face-to-face sessions and has a drop-in session in Portishead once a month. It also has a walking group in Clevedon. Its website has useful information such as articles and videos and CruseChat, an online chat function with a bereavement volunteer to talk to.
National Friendly employee Neil, who has been a volunteer for nearly nine years at Cruse, said: “We believe that everyone should receive support when someone dies.
“Cruse provides this support, free of charge, to anyone at any time in their grief journey and we want to be able to help everyone who needs us.
“At National Friendly, staff are encouraged to get involved with their community and raise funds for good causes, with funds raised matched by the business.”
National Friendly takes a collaborative approach to community work, acting as a bridge between local organisations.
The mutual insurer can point proudly to a long track record of supporting large and small Bristol charities – including Children’s Hospice South West, SW Cystic Fibrosis, St Mungo’s and Southmead Hospital Charity – raising substantial amounts of money over the years for each.
For more information on Cruse, visit www.cruse.org.uk
National Friendly was established in 1868 and today specialises in private medical insurance, social and adult care funding solutions, and income protection products, as well as over-50s guaranteed savings plans.
It has no shareholders and exists to serve the best interests of its 33,400 members.
