Our story
Identifying a need
While working in palliative care in the early 2000s, founding Trustee Maureen Frayling became aware of the lack of grief services available for those not being directly supported by the Hospice she worked for.
In 2008 she organised a feasibility study of 36 diverse organisations and the results showed a gap in loss and grief services, and frustration around the lack of places to refer people - and hence the Grief Centre was born.
Growing our support
In 2009, New Zealand's Dil's Funeral Services was introduced to the project and, with their support, the Grief Centre's services have continued to grow and evolve.
We now support over 14,000 adults, children, and families/whānau with counselling, resources, support groups, bereavement support and community talks, as well as an extensive training programme for professionals in New Zealand and Australia.
Diversifying services
The Grief Centre supports over 10% of bereaved families in New Zealand, and since 2019, we have partnered with funeral homes across Australia. We offer Bereavement Support Services in partnership with funeral homes to provide support for their clients, and at the same time improve their reputation in the community.
We’re excited to be helping more people across both countries and expanding our vison of supporting all people living through loss.