
Burdekin local Bree Fagg (centre) spearheaded the push for the group, approaching Ross Romeo of CORES (left) and BNC coordinator Natalie Saroglia (right) to help bring it to fruition. Photo credit: Jacob Casha
Local hands have introduced a new grief support group in the Burdekin, answering the community’s call for a dedicated space to talk about grief and find support close to home.
Hosted by the Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre (BNC), the group will give locals access to coping strategies and “a community of compassion and understanding.”
The initiative was spearheaded by local resident Bree Fagg, who identified a gap in local support services following the loss of two family members.
“I felt like the community needed more support for families—not just for suicide loss, but for general grief, general loss,” Ms Fagg said.
“I felt alone in it. Now, I want to help make sure there’s a place for families to gather and have that support.”
Ross Romeo of CORES Queensland will facilitate the meetings, focusing on maintaining a safe environment that respects individual experiences.
“The idea is to create a safe space where people can come together while acknowledging that they’re all different in what they’re going through,” said Mr Romeo.
“Once you’ve lost somebody, there’s still a connection to that person. It’s just about getting used to that new norm, and being with people who are going through the same sort of issues is helpful.”
BNC coordinator Natalie Saroglia said the group is open to anyone navigating loss.
“We’re never going to get away from experiencing grief; whether it’s the loss of a relationship, loss of a job, loss of a person, grief is in our lives,” Ms Saroglia said.
“People don’t need services, they need people. This group is about people coming together around a common thing.”
The group will meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30pm. For more information, contact BNC on 4783 4243 or at admin@thebnc.org.au.