What Cruse Bereavement Support does

Cruse Bereavement Support is a UK-registered charity (company limited by guarantee; charity number 208078, company number 638709) headquartered in Richmond, England, and the largest national bereavement charity serving England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It provides free bereavement support to adults, children and young people, military families, and individuals bereaved by suicide or other traumatic loss, delivered through a network of over 80 local branches, a national helpline (0808 808 1677), and online/virtual support channels including Cruse Chat. Specialist training for therapists and counsellors, age-appropriate support for young people, and tailored military and suicide bereavement services form the core specialist offering alongside general grief support and practical guidance on what to do after someone dies.

The charity also operates a workplace training division selling Grief Matters webinars, General Grief Awareness training, Grief First Aid, and bespoke consultancy directly to employers and organisations seeking to build grief-competent workplaces. Cruse is volunteer-staffed at the frontline, with the charity citing a £607 cost to train each new helpline volunteer. It does not operate a proprietary software platform; service delivery is human-led via trained volunteers and staff across physical branches, the telephone helpline, and digital channels.

Funding is sourced primarily through donations and fundraising — one-time and recurring gifts, legacy bequests, fundraising events, weekly lottery participation, and corporate partnerships — with no public equity, venture, or private equity ownership disclosed. Pricing for workplace training is not publicly disclosed. The charity operates independently under a board of trustees and is regulated by the Fundraising Regulator.

Name

Cruse Bereavement Support

Legal name

Cruse Bereavement Support

Website

https://cruse.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cruse Bereavement Support is the largest UK bereavement charity serving England, Wales and Northern Ireland, providing free support via 80+ local branches, a national helpline, and online channels to bereaved adults, children, military families, and those bereaved by suicide, with workplace training as a commercial extension.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bereavement Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK), Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI)

Keywords

• Bereavement support services
• Grief counselling
• Workplace grief training
• Charity helpline services
• Trauma bereavement care

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Cruse is funded primarily through charitable donations from individuals, including one-time and recurring gifts, fundraising events, legacy bequests, and lottery participation. Donations fund the cost of training helpline volunteers (stated at £607 per volunteer) and broader service delivery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cruse Bereavement Support is the largest national bereavement charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, providing free emotional support, counselling, and practical guidance to bereaved individuals through a national helpline, 80+ local branches, and online/virtual services. The charity also delivers paid workplace training programmes (Grief Matters webinars, Grief Awareness, Grief First Aid, therapist/counsellor training, and bespoke consultancy) to organisations seeking to support grieving employees.

Product overview

Cruse Bereavement Support offers a single integrated service portfolio organized into direct support services and workplace training offerings. The direct support arm includes the Helpline (telephone support), Local Support Services (over 80 branches across England, Wales and Northern Ireland), and specialized services for Children and Young People, Suicide bereavement, and Military bereavement. The workplace training division provides professional development through Grief Matters Webinars, General Grief Awareness Training, Grief First Aid, Therapist/Counsellors Training, and Bespoke Consultancy Services. Together, these products form a comprehensive bereavement support ecosystem spanning direct client services and organizational training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Helpline A telephone support line (0808 808 1677) staffed by trained volunteers providing bereavement support, a listening ear, and advice to grieving individuals.
• Local Support Services In-person bereavement support delivered through over 80 local branches across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, including one-to-one and group sessions.
• Children and Young People Support Age-appropriate bereavement support for children and young people, including support for those experiencing anticipatory grief when a parent or loved one has a terminal illness.
• Support After Suicide Specialist bereavement support for individuals affected by suicide or traumatic loss, addressing complex grief and feelings of blame or guilt.
• Military Bereavement Support Dedicated bereavement support for individuals and families in the military community, including after death in service.
• What to Do After Someone Dies Practical guidance and information resource helping people navigate the administrative and emotional tasks following a death.
• Grief Matters - The Webinar Series Webinar-based professional development series for individuals and organisations seeking to deepen their skills in supporting bereavement.
• General Grief Awareness Training Workplace training designed to increase understanding of grief and bereavement for employees and managers, sold to organisations.
• Grief First Aid Training Practical skills-based training equipping participants to provide immediate support to colleagues experiencing grief, sold to organisations.
• Therapist/Counsellors Training Specialist professional development for therapists and counsellors working with clients experiencing loss and bereavement.
• Bespoke Consultancy Services Customised training and consultancy services tailored to specific organisational needs regarding bereavement support, sold directly to employers.

Quantifiable outcome

• The £607 cost of training a new Helpline Volunteer represents a quantified impact unit — each donation directly funds real service delivery capacity.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/crusebereavementsupport
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cruse-bereavement-support
• Instagraminstagram.com/crusesupport
• Xx.com/CruseSupport

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cruse Bereavement Support