Compassionate Communities UK is part of a growing movement committed to improving end of life care and bereavement support for the whole community.

Bringing together local individuals, groups, schools and colleges, businesses and healthcare services as a network to promote and support a collaborative community based approach to caring for one another during times of ill health, at the end of life and at times of personal loss.

Compassion is something that we all possess and is essential for healthy ageing, serious illness, dying, grieving and caregiving. Communities that come together to care and support one another with compassion, kindness and friendship, are fundamental to all our health, quality of life and happiness.

Everybody can be part if their local Compassionate Community – a community that is prepared to help. Friends, neighbours, colleagues, family members can all have a role to play in supporting each other at a time of crisis or loss, when they are ready, willing and confident to have conversations about living and dying well, and can support each other in emotional and practical ways.

Compassion is at the heart of the care Pilgrims provide. As a lead provider of end of life care and bereavement support, we recognise the role we have in influencing the creation of a Compassionate Community across east Kent. We want to work with our local communities to inspire, support and celebrate compassionate activity across our region, and through collaboration and participation, dispel the myths around death, dying and bereavement, empowering the people of east Kent to be better prepared and enabled to look after themselves and each other.

How to get involved in Pilgrims Compassionate Communities

Pilgrims is forming an east Kent-wide Compassionate Community network and would like to connect with individuals, community groups, faith groups, organisations, schools etc. that would like to work together to develop an inclusive community that inspires, supports and celebrates care for one another through collaborative and compassionate action.

We are keen to hear from individuals, groups and organisations in our communities who are already providing compassionate support to others, or would like help in developing new compassionate initiatives in their local area, or who are interested in being part of an east Kent Compassionate Communities development group.