Men to share stories of grief on charity walk

Men to share stories of grief on charity walk 
BBC News, West of England; by Dawn Limbu; 2/8/25 
Hundreds of men from Somerset and Wiltshire are being encouraged to share their experiences of grief and bereavement on an eight-mile (12km) charity walk. Dorothy House Hospice Care is hosting its annual 'Men's Walk to Support' to raise funds to help the charity continue to provide free end-of-life care. The walk on 8 March will take participants from the charity's hospice in Winsley, Wiltshire, to Bath Pavillion in Somerset. Dan Varley, community and events fundraiser, said the walk can be really "powerful" for men who have experienced bereavement. 
Editor's note: Bravo to this hospice. Do gender themes exist in your bereavement services?  (Ask your bereavement counselors for male/female participation in support groups, counseling, and bereavment events.) Long-standing, leading research by Kenneth Doka and Terry Martin identified 3 patterns: (1) Intuitive Grieving (stereotyped as female), (2) "Instrumental Grief" (stereotyped as male), and (3) a blending of both Intuitive and Instrumental. Each pattern has its strengths. This charity walk for men powerfully illustrates the blending of Instrumental Grieving (action-oriented, purpose/outcome driven) and Intuitive Grieving (sharing stories, expressing emotions, relational). Click here for Doka and Martin's game-changing book, Men Don't Cry, Women Do: Transcending Gender Stereotypes of Grief. How might you apply this to your bereavement care?