Bereavement pin acknowledges grief

A NEW pin aimed at encouraging society to acknowledge grief and to support bereaved people has been unveiled by the Irish Hospice Foundation.

The pin, by Irish jewellery designer Alan Ardiff, is being distributed through bereavement groups of hospices free of charge, and can be bought by members of the public for €20 from the foundation and the Kilkenny shop on Dublin’s Nassau Street. All money from the sale of the pin will go the hospice foundation, and profits will be used to develop bereavement services in Ireland.

The silver-and-black patina pin uses symbols of love, strength and community. A circle represents the circle of life, a heart at its centre indicates loss and a connection to loved ones, and 12 dots around the circle represent time, or support of family and friends.

Mr Ardiff said: “A visual symbol of loss is important for many bereaved people.”

Unveiling the pin yesterday, broadcaster Pat Kenny, whose mother died last year, said each bereaved person’s loss was unique. “This bereavement pin is a modern twist on the tradition of highlighting a loss,” he said.

The Irish Hospice Foundation says about 30,000 people die every year in Ireland, with at least 10 people affected by each death.