BUILDINGS and bridges in Hereford will be lit up in yellow next week as part of a grief awareness week.

The Butter Market and Black and White House in High Town will be two of the buildings taking part as part of The Good Grief Trust's National Grief Awareness Week 2020.

The campaign will see several public building light up in yellow in Hereford on December 8 from 4pm. Hereford Town Hall and the recently renamed Canary Bridge will also be on board.

Advanced loss and wellbeing specialist Dawn Ford, who's been organising Hereford's tribute with Ange Tyler of ELY Memorial Fund, said: "This is a national event and on Tuesday, December 8 at 6pm the central dome of St. Pauls' Cathedral in London is turning yellow where there will be evening song live transmission by the BBC.

"Covid-19 has meant the order of things has been turned upside-down.

"People can’t say goodbye in the way they would expect. There may be a guilt element that your loved one has died alone.

"And then the funeral; many friends and relatives have had the ritual of saying goodbye taken away from them, something that is part of the normal grieving process.

"When we usually talk about unresolved grief, it’s to do with things that have been left unsaid.

"However, this presents to us a new variant of unresolved grief; the inability to say goodbye, which may then limit grievers from becoming complete with their loss in the future.

"This pandemic has robbed so many of the chance to say goodbye, to hold the hand of a loved one, to kiss their face, to say 'I love you' in person. We can't even hug outside our household and support bubble anymore.

"Physical contact and closeness is now measured in risk factors."

Ms Ford, who lives near Hereford, added there are hopes that more people will get involved. She has invited anyone who experienced any form of grief during the pandemic to light a candle at 6pm on Tuesday.