When we aren’t creating unique and sentimental memorial jewellery, we can be found talking to our valued customers about how they are feeling and checking in with our online support community. In today’s post, we will discuss some tips we have been collecting from our chats with our lovely customers to help you know where to begin when dealing with a loss.

Learn More About Grief

Understanding grief and the symptoms that can often occur after a loss can help you understand your feelings and anticipate what other symptoms may occur during your bereavement process, assisting you in how to deal with grief.

The Inscripture blog contains a bountiful collection of resources you can use to help you understand grief, including posts on the different types of grief and dealing with ambiguous loss. We also help you find the beginning of answers to questions such as how long grief lasts and how grief feels.

Seek Support

After you can recognise and acknowledge your grief after learning more about the causes and symptoms of grief, it is a great idea to reach out to people you trust within your personal life or seek support from a professional, such as your GP or a bereavement support counsellor.

Maintaining your relationship after a big loss may be challenging, but reaching out to others can help you avoid feeling lonely and give you someone to help you during this vulnerable time. Talking about your grief with others can help you understand your feelings and identify what stage of grief you may be experiencing.

Celebrate Your Loved One’s Life

Allowing yourself to grieve is important. But you may also wish to take some time to celebrate the life of your loved one and reminisce about the good memories you shared with one another.

If you are stuck for ideas, check out our previous post with 21 ways to commemorate a loved one, including how to remember them in private, with others or celebrate the life of a pet.

Think About Your Loved One Often

Many people fall into the trap of trying to keep themselves busy because thinking about their loss is too painful. However, we believe it is important to remember your lost loved one and the fond memories you shared.

You may find it helpful to wear an item of memorial jewellery, such as a piece of our ashes jewellery or something from the handwriting jewellery collection, which you can personalise using your loved one’s words. Then you can think of your loved one every time you touch your piece of jewellery.

If you are grieving the loss of a pet, we also offer paw print jewellery and photo jewellery which may help you remember your furry family member.

Be Kind To Yourself

Lastly, remember to be kind to yourself and allow yourself to experience the emotions often associated with grief. Your experiences are valid, and you can cope with your grief by holding your own hand and treating yourself with as much care and consideration as you would for your friend going through the bereavement process.

How To Honour A Bereaved Mother on Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day can be especially tough for those who have lost their mothers or children. As a memorial jewellery brand that speaks to numerous people grieving daily, we recognise that these ways to honour a bereaved mother on Mother’s Day may not even scratch the surface of helping them heal from their loss. However, it is important to honour grieving Mothers that may be confronting feelings of loss over a child, grandchild, miscarriage or unsuccessful adoption applications. Here are a few ways to help your friends or family members on this challenging day.

How To Honour A Bereaved Mother on Mother’s Day

1. Acknowledge Their loss

The first step in honouring a bereaved mother is acknowledging their loss. Let them know that you are aware that this day may be difficult for them and that you are there for them if they need someone to listen to them.

2. Offer Support

Offer to spend time with them or do something special together. You can also offer to help them with any tasks or errands they need to get done, such as grocery shopping or cleaning, which may become overwhelming during their grief.

3. Send a Thoughtful Gift

Sending a thoughtful gift to a bereaved mother can be a great way to show that you are thinking of them on Mother’s Day.

Some good gift ideas include a bouquet of flowers, a unique piece of personalised Memorial Jewellery, or a photo album filled with memories of their loved one.

4. Make a Donation in Their Loved One’s Name

Donating to a charity or cause can be a meaningful way to remember a lost loved one and positively impact their memory. It can also remind the mother that you are still thinking about their loss and wish to empathise with what they are experiencing.

5. Write a Heartfelt Message

Writing a heartfelt message to a bereaved mother can be a great way to show them that you care. You can write a letter, card, or even just a simple text message to let them know you are thinking of them. Even small gestures like this can go a long way to remind anyone going through grief that they have a support system in place should they need it.

6. Plan a Special Tribute

If the bereaved mother is open to it, planning a special tribute to their loved one can be a meaningful way to honour them on Mother’s Day. This tribute can include anything from planting a tree in their memory, lighting a candle in their honour, or even listening to their favourite songs on a peaceful walk in nature.

Conclusion

Honouring a bereaved mother on Mother’s Day is about showing them that they are loved and remembered. By acknowledging their loss, offering support, sending a thoughtful gift, making a donation in their loved one’s name, writing a heartfelt message, or planning a special tribute, you can make a positive impact in their lives and hold their hand while they navigate through this challenging time. Remember, sometimes, the smallest gestures can make the biggest difference.

Mother’s Day Gifts | Meaningful Present Ideas for Mothers, Grandmothers, Aunts and Friends

Mother’s Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday after the beginning of lent to honour the motherly figures in our lives. In 2023, Mother’s Day falls on 19th March. Therefore, you may have started to think about how to show your appreciation for the endless love, sacrifices, and efforts of your mother, grandmother, aunt, or any other special female who has played a nurturing role in your life.

One of the best ways to express gratitude and love is through thoughtful gifts that convey our emotions and help these extraordinary women feel valued. In this blog post, the Inscripture team have put together our top meaningful present ideas for Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day Can be a Challenging Time

However, as a memorial jewellery brand, we also recognise that some people may struggle with loss and grief during this time. Therefore, we have put together some articles, such as a blog post on how to talk about death, to help you find an organisation that can help you through this challenging period. You can also find specialised helplines via the mental health charity Mind.

Meaningful Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Scrapbook or Photo Album – Handmade Gift Idea

If you have a budding passion for showing your creativity, you can give a homemade family photo album or a scrapbook filled with photos and other memories. Even if you aren’t great with arts and crafts, services such as PhotoBox can print an album using copies of your digital images.

Jewellery – Thoughtful Gift

A custom-made piece of jewellery can also be a touching way to show how much you care.

Inscripture offers custom Birthstone Jewellery or Constellation Jewellery, which can make an excellent present for mums and other women who enjoy wearing jewellery and accessories that hold a special meaning. Our Children’s Drawing Jewellery is also a lovely idea for grandparents. Simply choose the piece, and we can engrave the artwork done by their grandchildren on the charms to be cherished.

Experience Gifts

Experience gifts sound like a last-minute present idea you might only use if you were in a panic to find a present. However, organising an experience that suits their interests can help you show your love.

Plus, buying a voucher for you both to share will allow you to create memories with your mother that you can both cherish forever.

Experience gift ideas include:

●      Cooking class

●      Wine tasting session

●      Spa day

●      Trip to her favourite destination, such as a garden centre, botanical garden, art gallery, or amusement park.

Thoughtful Cards

Lastly, a thoughtful card with a heartfelt message can convey a loving message to the notable female figures in your life. You can add this gift idea to another present idea, or this simple gesture can be enough to make them feel special and bring a smile to their face.

Summary

There are many ways to express your love and appreciation for your mother, grandmother, aunt or other female friends and family members on Mother’s Day. However, you can’t go far wrong with any present, as long as it reflects your emotions and shows how much you value her.

A befriender is a specific volunteer role that helps people feel less isolated or lonely. Devastatingly, an estimated 1.4 million people in the UK are chronically lonely. Therefore, connecting with someone who can offer companionship and an ear of support during challenging times is a welcome relief.

A befriending service will attempt to match people with volunteers with the same interests, so they can mutually enjoy the conversation and share their passions.

A befriender can talk over the phone or visit the person’s home if they prefer face-to-face conversations. With supervision from the befriending charity, volunteers may also take their person on an excursion to a local cafe, museum, doctor’s office or theatre.

Who Benefits From Befriending Services?

Anyone who is feeling lonely or isolated can benefit from a befriending service. Typically older adults require befriending services the most as they are less able to leave the house due to their age and health. However, people with depression, disabilities or other health conditions may also benefit from talking to a befriender.

Typically people seek support from a befriending service when they live on their own or have no family. However, people may still need these services even if they have family nearby or live with a spouse as they may wish to seek connection with new people outside their immediate circle. This is also important, so it gives family members peace of mind if they work long hours or travel and, therefore, can’t visit their loved ones as much as they would like.

Do Befrienders Have To Train?

To become a befriender, a volunteer doesn’t need any formal qualifications. However, they will undergo in-house training to give them the tools to deal with complex situations and learn how to best support people. As they will work with vulnerable adults, they will also be DBS-checked and regulated by the board.

Where to Find Befriending Services

If you are looking to become a befriender or hoping that you can organise support for your loved one, any of these services may help you. You may need to select criteria so they can match you with a suitable volunteer, including times for visits/calls, gender preferences, or skills or interests in common.

● Age UK

● CareDogs (animal befriending services)

● Alzheimer’s Society (for people with dementia)

● Engage Befriending

● Befriending Networks

Unfortunately, arranging a befriending service can take up to 3 months. Therefore, we recommend using other support services in the meantime.

For example, you could suggest your loved one join a group activity class in a subject they enjoy. You can use Google or MeetUp app to find local events they may enjoy. You could also buy your loved one a piece of photo jewellery with a photo of the two of you inside or a handwriting necklace with some words of encouragement for when they are feeling lonely, and you are unable to be there for them.

It can be difficult to know what type of support to offer someone who is grieving, as grief can arouse a wide array of emotions within a person. Your loved one, colleague, or friend tackling grief may be feeling emotions such as guilt, anger, sadness, despair, depression, or anxiety. Therefore, it is important to do your best to support them during this time. Here are a few things you may wish to consider when helping a loved one with their grief.

Supporting Others Through Grief

Learn About Grief

Luckily we live in an age where we can use the internet to learn a lot about grief in a short period of time. Expanding your knowledge is often the best way to support someone who has just experienced a loss. By learning more about the stages of grief and what grief feels like, you can likely be a more empathetic listener and can better help them navigate through their feelings.

Show Love Through All 5 Love Languages

As Dr Gary Chapman’s theory goes, people give and receive love in five ways:

● Words of affirmation

● Acts of service

● Physical touch

● Receiving gifts

● Quality time

In order to show your love for the person who is grieving, you may need to use multiple methods of demonstrating your love for them to ensure they feel supported, heard and loved.

For example, you could use affirming body language, including hugs and hand touches, to show physical affection and encouragement. You could also say some kind words to show them you are here for them throughout their process. They may find it helpful if you could find them some helpful bereavement support services. You may even like to offer them a piece of memorial jewellery to express your love.

Stay In Contact and Continually Reach Out

Grief can often make people feel lonely. Therefore, it is important to show someone who is grieving that you are here for them and that you are willing to give them what they need.

Many people often reach out in the early days following a loss. However, it is essential that you continually show up and offer them support through the grieving process. Of course, we

don’t recommend pestering them to come out to dinner or forcing them to talk about their grief when they don’t wish to. But it is important to offer continual support so they feel they can reach out when they would like company.

Conclusion

Everyone needs different support following a loss. Therefore, it can be hard to know how to help. Of course, there are also a few things you should avoid doing, including making their grief about you, minimising their grief or referencing your past experience with loss. But generally, most people who are grieving just want their loved ones to be there to support them and actively listen to them when they make requests. So the best thing you can do is constantly show up for them when they need you.

How To Talk To Someone With Dementia

As you may know, dementia causes a person troubles with memory and comprehension. As it is a progressive illness, the symptoms will likely get more severe over time. Therefore, talking to someone with dementia can be challenging, especially in the later stages of their condition. If you are caring for a loved one with dementia, you may have to learn how to adapt your communication style to help them during the conversation.

How to Communicate With Someone With Dementia

Here are some tips on how to talk to someone with dementia. You can visit the Alzheimer’s Society website or read the NHS guidelines if you need more information.

Encourage Talking

Depending on how advanced their condition is, their verbal reasoning or comprehension may not be as it used to be. So keep your language uncomplicated and speak clearly so the person with dementia can understand you. Allow them time to reply and feel comfortable sitting in silence with them while their brain processes the conversation.

Don’t patronise or dispute what they say (even if you know they are confusing the facts), and be prepared to repeat yourself or rephrase sentences calmly.

Use Different Ways of Communication

As dementia progresses, the person may have trouble understanding or forming a response. Therefore, you can supplement verbal communication with body language and, depending on the person and the situation, either include physical touch or keep at a short distance (whatever you think they need at that moment, then you can monitor their reactions and react accordingly). It also helps to mimic their stance or keep at a lower level to them, i.e. sit if they are sitting.

Actively Listen

Communication isn’t all about adding more to the conversation. It is equally important to use skills in listening to encourage the other person to talk.

To actively listen, try to take in what the person is saying without thinking of your response immediately. You can show active listening using skills to help encourage them to speak by repeating a few keywords back to them, ignoring distractions, using positive facial expressions, smiling, nodding, and maintaining eye contact.

Don’t Neglect Your Own Needs

Having a family member or friend diagnosed with dementia is a complex process. Therefore, dealing with your grief or other feelings surrounding your loved one’s diagnosis is important.

It may cause you to feel anticipatory grief (grief before the person is lost) or disenfranchised grief (feeling like others don’t accept your grief because your loved one is still living).

We recommend seeking professional therapy or other forms of bereavement support. You may also benefit from joining a support group to surround yourself with others going through parallel experiences. Some people also find it helpful to wear a piece of sentimental Memorial Jewellery, such as a necklace from our Photo Jewellery, Fingerprint Jewellery or Handwriting Jewellery collections. Then you can hold the pendant in your hand when you wish to feel close to the person you love.

Sue Ryder is a charity in England, Scotland and Wales that specialises in helping those with terminal illnesses. This includes palliative, neurological and bereavement support for those diagnosed with a terminal illness, their loved ones or their carers.

You may have seen the sky blue and white logo on one of their charity shops in your local town, which help raise money to fund the £55 million a year costs of running the services.

What Support Does Sue Ryder Offer?

Sue Ryder has 11 centres around the UK and can offer palliative (care through a life-limiting health condition and end-of-life care) and neurological support (care specifically for health conditions that affect the brain or central nervous system) from health care professionals and nurses at these specialist care centres or arrange in-home visits.

They aim to help people with terminal illnesses make the most of their life and receive targeted support to help them through grief and changes to their health. They also help loved ones through anticipatory grief and prepare for the future.

They can also offer bereavement support services online, including a community page to speak to other people in similar situations, advice about grief, and professional counselling over video chat. They also offer information on specific topics surrounding the diagnosis or loss of a loved one, including how to cope with grief, help children through a family loss, and plan for the future.

How To Access This Support

If you or someone you know would benefit from the services offered by the incredible team at Sue Ryder, you can enquire about a specific support service via their website.

Sue Ryder Founder’s Story

Of course, the charity’s name if Sue Ryder, suggests it was started by a caring individual before growing into what it is today. Sue Ryder was, in fact, a real person who dedicated her life to helping others.

Sue was a humanitarian who started working in these caring roles during WWII. However, unlike many, she didn’t return to her pre-war life and continued to dedicate her life to helping people with palliative and neurological support.

Sadly, Sue passed away in 2000, but her legacy lives on through the work done by the incredible people within the Sue Ryder charity.

Sue Ryder X Inscripture Memorial Jewellery

As a memorial jewellery brand, Inscripture were keen to partner with Sue Ryder as we have heard how many of our customers have benefited from the care they received from the charity.

We hope to add an easy way for our customers to make a donation to the Sue Ryder charity when they purchase items, such as our ashes jewellery.

We are also part of the ‘grief kind’ campaign as we understand that some people prefer to opt out of newsletters during particular times of the year that may bring up unpleasant memories of their suffering.

Please check back in with us in the coming months for new announcements concerning our partnership.

Valentine’s Gift Ideas For Him 2023

We all know buying presents for men can be a headache, to say the least. Most men are fussier than they would admit, and they usually buy themselves things they want rather than wait to receive them on a special holiday.

With that said, it can be easy to resort to the classic male gift ideas and buy novelty socks, a wallet, booze, slippers or a leather belt for the man in your life this Valentine’s Day. But don’t panic! This guide has some unique gift ideas that can help you choose something he will love and, fingers crossed, something he won’t have already bought himself.

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Men

Personalised Jewellery, Cufflinks, Tie Clips and More

You may know Inscripture are the first and leading handwriting engraving specialist and that we offer the largest range of memorial jewellery in the UK. However, did you know that we also create personalised jewellery for other occasions? So if you are looking for the perfect gift for your male partner this Valentine’s Day, we can also offer some personalised tie clips, black leather bracelets, dog tag necklaces, or cufflinks, which can go down a treat.

Alternatively, if you don’t think your loved one would like custom jewellery or rarely has the occasion to wear cufflinks or tie clips, Inscripture also offers other personalised items. These pieces include padlocks, wallet cards, keyrings, and even pocket watches. So you can personalise other useful items and choose something that suits your man’s personality and lifestyle.

Custom Drawing of His Dog or Cat

If your partner has a furry family member, have you ever considered ordering a pet portrait commission? Not only is this a thoughtful gift he is guaranteed to love, but hopefully, this isn’t something he will have thought to buy himself!

Find a local artist or search on social media to find someone who can create a custom piece of art for you to wrap up. Almost any reasonable budget works for this gift idea, as you can find art students willing to take projects for more affordable prices, or you can splash out on a pet portrait specialist.

Experiences

And if all else fails and you just can’t think of an idea you know your partner will love, you can rarely go wrong when gifting an experience.

Not only does gifting an experience mean your loved one can have something to look forward to, but you will also create more special memories together.

Try to tailor the experience to your recipient’s interests, for example:

Attend a cooking class together: learn a new recipe or cooking technique and have fun cooking together. You could attend an in-person class, such as this Italian cooking class at the Avenue Cookery School in London, or find a virtual event you can join from home.
Surprise them with concert or show tickets: gift a ticket for a night out at a local show that you know they will love. Comedy shows always go down a treat with anyone, or you may prefer to organise a musical or theatre performance or book tickets to a gig when their favourite band is in the area.

Plan a picnic in the park: giving experiences doesn’t have to cost a bomb, and you can arrange a DIY picnic hamper for as little as £5-10 per person.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Hopefully, you can use this Valentine’s Day gift guide to find the perfect gift for your partner. And you can also find a few additional ideas on our personalised, occasion and memorial jewellery blog.

The Inscripture family wishes you a loving and happy V Day whether you are with your partner, drinking Rosé with your besties or sharing a FaceTime with your family.

Valentine’s Day Gifts & Ideas 2023

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and you may ponder over how to show your love and appreciation for your significant other, best friends and family members. While chocolates and flowers are always a classic choice, why not switch things up and give them a memorable or personalised gift they will cherish for years?

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Partners, Best Friends and Family

Personalised Jewellery

No matter who you are looking to spoil this Valentine’s Day, personalised jewellery is always a winner.

Giving jewellery is a thoughtful way to show your love for someone, and the personalised element of Inscripture jewellery can help them feel valued.

Plus, when you gift a piece that fits seamlessly into their current jewellery collection, they can wear a constant reminder of your loving relationship. So when they look down at their wrist or feel their necklace, they can remember how loved they are and think of the special moments you shared.

The secret to choosing the perfect personalised piece is to consider what type of jewellery your partner or friend already wears. For example, if they often wear dainty necklaces, one of the Inscripture sterling silver necklaces with a Valentine’s engraving or a personalised pendant is a great choice. However, if they are more of a bracelet person, the handwriting bangle in silver or rose gold is a classy addition to their collection.

Personalised jewellery is not just limited to necklaces or bracelets. There are also many other pieces of jewellery available in our Valentine’s collection, including Pandora charms, earrings, dog tags, tie clips, cufflinks, pocket watches or even key rings for people who may not wear usually wear jewellery on their person.

Books Club Subscription (Great for Mums!)

All mums deserve to be showered in love on Valentine’s day! Giving your mum, aunty, or mum-like friend a book subscription is a great way to treat them to something to look forward to for a few months.

Mums are notorious for putting everyone else first, so hopefully, you can encourage them to carve out some ‘me’ time and put their feet up to escape into a new world when they pick up their book.

Either sign them up for a book club subscription so they can receive a new book every month, or gift them a few of your favourite books to start them off. Alternatively, you could browse your local charity shops and put together a selection of 3-4 books you think they may appreciate, along with some fancy tea and shortbread biscuits.

Gift an Experience

If you struggle to know what to buy someone for Valentine’s or Galentine’s day, planning a fun day or night out with your loved one can be a great option.

Options include:

Spa day
City break
Drive-in movie night
Afternoon tea
Trip to a Botanical Gardens

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Hopefully, these Valentine’s day gift ideas (or Galentine’s day gifts) will help you choose the perfect way to show your love and appreciation for your partner or friend on this special day.

Impeccable customer care, trust, and the personal touch: go for Inscripture

I once heard someone say that if you are treated well as a customer then you will tell three people, whereas if you are treated badly, you’ll tell nine.

That is something I’d agree with. Human beings on the whole are much quicker to highlight shoddy service and poor performance. Bad news evokes more interest and is often in greater supply but thanks to Inscripture, I can start 2023 by bucking this trend by happily endorsing the UK’s first, and leading, handwriting engraving specialists.

It was Christmas 2022 and the most wonderful time of the year was a typically stressful one. Like most people with families, I had a few to buy for and had to think of a suitable present for my daughter to give to my spouse. Lesley, my wife, is an expert present-buyer and embraces the madness of the festive period in a way movie goers embrace the cinema. A lover of jewellery, she had let it be known that an item of silver with an engraving would be something she would like to open on Christmas Day.

So the online search began and Inscripture fitted the bill. A nice, easy-to-negotiate website that provided the service and product I required. And a few clicks later a lovely bracelet with a few chosen words from my daughter was ordered.

Many will say that a number of companies provide that service, have that sort of website, so why is Inscripture so special?

Impeccable customer care

A day or two after the order was placed, Inscripture was in touch. Not with the usual spam of offers that clogs up my emails particularly around that time of year, but a double check that my order was correct. I hadn’t uploaded a photo, just sent the words I wanted inscribed on the gift I had purchased. The message didn’t have an automated feel to it, it felt as though a human being had taken their time to confirm with me that my order was correct. Did I want to upload a photo? Was there a particular font? This was, again, all easy to follow and clear.

Inscripture’s website says its core values have always been to provide a personal customer experience with exceptional quality items at an affordable place. The company had certainly delivered on two of its promises – the price for the item and the service was more than reasonable –  while the reviews I had read had also backed up the ‘exceptional quality’ promise.

Trust and the personal touch

And so the day came. Having been advised to buy early for Christmas, particularly if shopping online, I had made a conscious effort to get organised as early as possible.

Things were going well and I was completing my present list on time, and was able to tick off another box when a parcel arrived from Inscripture.

But the box was empty!

My mind began to race, we had been warned about online scammers making a renewed effort to con people out of their hard-earned money. Had I become another victim to internet criminals. Jumping back on the Inscripture website, I frantically searched for the Contact Us section and found a number of ways to get in touch. As this was a crisis, I opted for the phone number provided.

It turns out I needn’t have worried.

Rather than the hundreds of options followed by being asked to press option pressing 1 or 2 multiple times, before being subjected to mind-numbing music while on hold, I found myself speaking to a human being almost immediately. A gentleman who was clearly experienced, he took me through the process of asking for my order number and within seconds knew which item I had purchased.

Trust of course is a two-way street. He asked me if the box had been damaged or tampered with and I assured him that was not the case. What followed was an explanation of what may have happened followed by the promise that my item would be sent out. The Inscripture employee further advised me with regards to paying extra for secure delivery. This was not a sales pitch designed to squeeze more money from a customer, rather advice to ensure that the present I wanted my daughter to give to her mum on Christmas Day would be at my house, wrapped, and under the tree before 25th December.

I came off the phone appreciative. I did not know if he had been dealing with one or one hundred customer queries that day, either way, he had provided a personal touch that made me feel important and is a fine ambassador with regard to customer service.

And happily, it arrived in a box, safe and sound. They had delivered on their promises and what I wrapped was a truly beautiful item I knew would make my wife and child very happy as receiver and giver, respectively.

The big day arrived and the result was as I expected. Inscripture had not only delivered on its core values, but helped make my Christmas a little less stressful.

A few days after the stat I mentioned at the top popped into my head. I had ticked the box saying I would like to receive emails about new items or latest offers (good jewellery makers always come in handy to a family man) but had largely ignored emails as I enjoyed the festive period. Inscripture had asked me to write a review, I had ignored that too, but then remembered that I hadn’t told three people about how well I had been treated and taken care of.

So this is where I right that wrong and happily endorse Inscripture. A company that keeps its words and more than lives up to its core values. I can say without doubt that I shall be doing business with them again.

I just hope this informs more than three people!

John H: Customer