COPING with the impact of bereavement and the loss of a loved one is the focus of a high-level conference in Gwent today.

The Bereavement and Beyond Conference 2018, is being staged by Newport-based St David’s Hospice Care at the Parkway Hotel and Spa, Cwmbran Drive, Cwmbran.

The conference will be opened and closed by St David’s Hospice Care’s chief executive and director of nursing, Emma Saysell, this morning from 9.30am to 3pm.

The conference will explore “the uniqueness of grief” with a particular emphasis, in this instance, on the loss of teenagers and adults. The conference follows on from a hugely successful inaugural gathering last year which focused on the impact that a death of a loved adult can have on children and young people.

Conference organiser, Gill Tanner, of St David’s Hospice Care, said: “The conference offers a unique opportunity for professionals who want to improve their ability to support people through change and loss.

“The death of someone close can be emotionally devastating. St David’s Hospice Care is passionate about high quality bereavement care and support being available to individuals that need it, regardless of whether the person who died was a patient of the hospice, or not.

“This conference follows on from the success of the event we held last year focusing on children and young people who had been bereaved, and this year has teenagers and adults as the predominant focus.

“Grief is very individual but people experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms as they grieve and come to terms with their loss. The conference will give delegates diverse opportunity to gain an understanding of the grieving process and ways to support bereaved people.”

There will be many conference speakers including Erin Bolens, poet and performer; Alf Smith, bereavement co-ordinator and others.