What we do

We commit to delivering exceptional care for patients and their families.

We base our care on seven key principles:

• Expert
• Aspiring
• Inclusive
• Responsive
• Enduring
• Empowering
• Holistic

We tailor our care to suit the individual needs of each person we care for and their families. We go the extra mile to find out what’s important to each person and support them to make their own choices.

At Sue Ryder, we can’t make life’s most difficult moments easy, but we can carry some of the load. For more than 70 years, we have been a source of strength and support for anyone living with a life-limiting illness or grief.

Dying and grief are universal experiences, but too many people face them alone. We are a safe and reassuring hand you can reach for. From providing care and support for someone at the end of their life to helping someone manage their grief, we know there is no one size fits all when it comes to how we cope and the help we need.

We campaign for everyone who is approaching the end of their life or grieving to have access to the right support, at the right time. And we seek to break down the barriers to talking about dying and grief - so we can all be better prepared and better equipped to be there for each other.

We can make a positive difference during even the darkest of times. Whether in the last months, weeks or days of life, or living with grief, we help people live the best life they possibly can. We are there when it matters.

In August 2021 we launched our Grief Kind campaign, a national movement of kindness to give people the confidence and the know how to support their friends, family and colleagues through grief.

Find out more about Grief Kind on our main website

When it comes to something as tough as grief it can be hard to know what to say or do that might help someone. In year one of the campaign we reached thousands of new people with our Grief Kind cards, celebrity podcast and classes, giving them the tips and ideas of what to say and do. In year two we aim to reach even more people.

We all have it in us to be Grief Kind and our campaign is helping people get the support they need to cope.

At Sue Ryder we also offer advice, support and information online for service users, their families and healthcare professionals. This includes our Online Bereavement Support, information about the care we give, our policy and public affairs work, plus support for healthcare professionals such as training courses and our research.

To help you feel confident talking to people about the bereavement support services Sue Ryder offers, we have created a helpful resource, which includes all the key information you need:

The PDF is a resource which has been created for all staff and volunteers to help people know how to respond to queries about accessing grief support through Sue Ryder.

We are working towards a future when everyone, who is dying or grieving, can access the quality of care they need and deserve.

Right now, across the UK, many people who are nearing the end of their life or living with grief are unable to get the support they need. Through our influencing work, we are creating a movement for change.

We are ambitious about the change we can achieve.

All our campaigns are working to reach these goals:

• Fairer funding for palliative care
• Better support for grieving people
• Improving end-of-life care
• Changing attitudes to death and dying

Discover more about our influencing campaigns on our main website