Compassionate Friends Johannesburg Chapter
Introduction
Category
About
The Compassionate Friends – Johannesburg Chapter
No bereaved family walks this journey alone.
The Compassionate Friends (TCF) Johannesburg is a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing understanding, compassion and support to families grieving the death of a child, sibling or grandchild, at any age and from any cause.
We understand that the death of a loved one changes lives forever. Grief is deeply personal, and there is no right or wrong way to grieve, no timetable to follow and no expectation to simply move on.
At The Compassionate Friends, we believe that no one should have to face this journey alone.
What We Do
Our chapter offers a safe, caring and non-judgemental space where bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents can connect with others who understand the depth of their loss.
Our support services include:
- One-to-one grief support: Compassionate listening and emotional support from trained volunteer counsellors.
- Support groups: Regular opportunities for bereaved families to share their experiences, memories and feelings with others who understand.
- Specialised support: Groups addressing particular experiences of loss, including suicide loss, pregnancy and infant loss, and sibling grief.
- Online and WhatsApp support: Helping families stay connected and supported beyond our in-person gatherings.
- Remembrance activities: Opportunities to honour and remember the children, siblings and grandchildren who have died.
- Grief education and awareness: Helping families and communities better understand grief and how to support those who are grieving as well as lay counsellor training.
Why Our Work Matters
When a child dies, families often experience profound isolation. Friends and relatives may struggle to know what to say or how to help, leaving grieving families feeling misunderstood or alone.
The Compassionate Friends offers something deeply valuable: the understanding that comes from connecting with others who have experienced a similar loss.
Our volunteers include bereaved family members who bring their own lived experience, compassion and understanding to the support they offer.
We cannot take away someone's grief, but we can walk alongside them, offering companionship, understanding and hope as they learn to live with their loss.
How You Can Help
The Compassionate Friends Johannesburg relies on the generosity of donors, sponsors and volunteers to continue offering support to bereaved families.
Your contribution helps us maintain our support services, train and equip volunteer counsellors, facilitate support groups, provide resources and create meaningful opportunities for remembrance.
Whether through a financial donation, sponsorship, volunteering or simply helping spread awareness of our services, you can make a difference.
Together, we can help ensure that no bereaved family walks this journey alone.NPO / NGO / PBO Number
Physical Address
Coverage Area
Contact Information
Social Media
How the Public Can Help
Current Needs / Wish List
- Solar panels for generating electricity
- Solar security lights
- Electric fencing around the whole perimeter of the property
- Painting of the outside of the cottage and storeroom
- Damp proofing of inside of the cottage and storeroom
- Upgrading of one bedroom cottage and conversion of storeroom to studio cottage
- Jungle Gym for younger siblings.
- Gardening tools – spade, fork, shovel, broom, rake, hosepipes
- Furniture for main lounge area
- Side coffee tables
- Folding trestle tables
- Furniture for top patio
- Umbrella/ shade for top patio
- Furniture for two other counselling rooms
- Curtains for some counselling rooms and the volunteer’s office
- Carpets for main support group room
- Teaspoons and tablecloths
- Refreshments – tea, coffee, milk and sugar
- New hot water urn
- Printer toner and printing paper
- White Board /Flip Chart Board paper.
- Stationery -pens, highlighters, staples, staplers, rulers, punches,
