Tricia Bentley joins to support our Bereavement Group

Here at Tester & Jones Funeral Services, we are delighted that Tricia Bentley has recently joined us to support Glenys running our wonderful Bereavement Group (the BGs). Established more than 15 years, the BGs provides vital support and friendship to our members.

In addition, to attending both our Wednesday and Saturday group meetings, Tricia is also busy ‘behind the scenes’ sourcing venues for visits and speakers for our regular meetings.

“Glenys has secured some fascinating speakers over the years; recently somebody came to talk about the wildlife on the Ashdown Forest, which was very interesting,” says Tricia. “In addition, some of the talks give more practical advice – such as how to avoid scams. I’m looking forward to sourcing a variety of speakers.”

Over the years, Tricia has lived through her own periods of grief, including being widowed at just 22 and, more recently, the death of a very close friend.

“I have been so impressed by the BGs,” says Tricia. “I think Tester & Jones made a brilliant decision to create the group all those years ago. What really stands out is the friendships that have been forged and it’s obvious that many of our members meet up outside of the ‘official’ meetings. They are not sitting around talking about grief but are supporting each other to move forward.”

In many ways, Tricia comes to the BGs with the perfect combination of experience. She has been a funeral celebrant for a number of years and has also run a club for single people for nearly 20 years. Tricia also previously worked at the registrar office in Crowborough, officiating at weddings and funerals. Before that, she spent time running a pub and was previously a flight attendant. During her life, she has lived in Beirut, Paris and Dhaka.

“In my role as a funeral celebrant, I pride myself on being a good listener,” Tricia explains. “It’s a privilege to support people through that time and to hear their stories. I always want to make sure I create a service that best suits that family and their loved ones. The satisfaction of achieving that is lovely.”

She adds: “Looking back over my life, all of my roles have involved meeting people and chatting – and I love that.”

In her spare time, Tricia likes travelling and has recently returned from an extended stay in Australia, where her twin sister has lived for many years. She also enjoys the theatre, visiting galleries, reading, walking and playing golf.

We know the BGs will appreciate her valuable input to our group.