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Eamon’s wife Sasha died from breast cancer when their daughters Ella and Jenna were eight and five years old. Eamon and Jenna talk about the impact of Sasha’s death on the family and how they’ve been supported by Child Bereavement UK. Read more
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Give £7 today to fund our work for one minute, helping us to reach more bereaved families when they need us most. Read more
About Child Bereavement UK's masterclasses for professionals Read more
Understanding how you and others around you are grieving may help in finding ways to manage grief alongside managing daily life. Read more
A series of short guidance films from Child Bereavement UK Read more
Child Bereavement UK Short Guidance Film - Building resilience in a bereaved child Read more
Our Royal Patron, HRH The Duke of Cambridge, speaking at our special anniversary gala at Kensington Palace. Read more
Guidance on managing special occasions when someone has died Read more
Child Bereavement UK is registered with the Fundraising Regulator, the independent regulator of charitable fundraising. Read more
Please share your #OneMoreMinute and together let's get more people talking about bereavement. It could be a video of yourself, a picture of the person you are remembering, or just a few words - everyone's experience of grief is unique to them. Read more
Please share your #OneMoreMinute. It could be a video of yourself, a picture of the person you are remembering, or just a few words - everyone's experience of grief is unique to them. Please join the conversation and together let's get more people talking about bereavement. Read more
Dr Edward Gasiorowski is a Neonatal Consultant at St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester. He attended Child Bereavement UK’s Neonatal, Palliative and End of Life Care Conference Read more
Zabia Khatoon is a Chaplain and Community and Diversity Officer at Myton Hospice in Coventry. She attended Child Bereavement UK's national conference Diversity and Inclusion in Bereavement Support. Read more
Sam Rowan is Head of Year 7 at Appleby Grammar in Cumbria, Sally Linsley is Head Teacher of Warcop CE Primary School, also in Cumbria. The neighbouring schools have both been impacted by a bereavement. Read more
Gail Merrett is a nurse at the Francis House Children’s Hospice in Manchester. She attended our modular training course, and has since set up a bereavement support service. Read more
Catherine Rylance and Clare Robinson are Neonatal Bereavement Support Sisters at St Mary's Hospital, Manchester. They completed our one-year training course, Working With Bereaved Children And Young People. Read more
Emily was supported by Child Bereavement UK after her second daughter, Abbie, was stillborn. Read more
Our vision is for all families to have the support they need to rebuild their lives, when a child grieves or when a child dies. Find a Child Bereavement UK support service near you. Read more
Bereaved young people in secondary school need the stability of a familiar routine with caring adults. Read more
Bereaved children in primary school need the stability of a familiar routine with caring adults. Read more
Bereaved young children need the stability of a familiar routine with caring adults. Read more
A list of books and resources for children and families affected by a sudden or unexpected death, including accidents, suicide and homicide. Read more
#OneMoreMinute scoops grand prix trophy at Charity Film Awards out of 400 good causes that entered the competition. Read more
Supporting bereaved students in further or higher education, at university or college. Read more
Information for tutors, lecturers and those working in student welfare at higher education institutes, further education colleges and university. How to support bereaved students. Read more
Information and support for a bereaved family with a pupil in secondary school. Read more
Information for a bereaved family with a child in primary school. Read more
Information to help members of staff supporting a bereaved family. Read more
This list includes books and resources for bereaved children and young people, including those with special educational or additional needs. Read more
A list of books and resources for adults supporting bereaved children and families, including those with special educational and additional needs. Read more
Films created by grieving young people supported by Child Bereavement UK Read more
Supporting children when someone has died. Read more
Generally parents or main carers are the best people to talk about sad news with their children, but if they are unable to do this then a close relative or caring adult known to the child would be most helpful. Sometimes, however, this difficult task falls to the health professional caring for the person who is dying. Information needs to be sensitively explained as soon as possible so that the children don’t inadvertently find out from someone else or are left for hours anxiously wondering w Read more
At the time of telling parents or carers that their baby or child has died, explain sensitively but clearly what steps will be taken next. Parents in shock can be confused and need your direction and guidance. The same is true for siblings or other children in the family. Read more
This information is mostly aimed at medical professionals, although it may also be helpful for other professionals involved in a family’s care at this time. Read more
Here is some useful guidance on: > Telling a child that someone has died > Supporting bereaved children and young people > How To Talk To Your Child About Social Media And The Internet Read more
Over the last few weeks we were given the opportunity to create and decorate pottery of our own, for a young people's group project. The session before we started making them, we planned how they were going to look and drew a picture to represent it. I chose to do a rainbow candle holder because I believe that rainbows bring light to the world. Read more
Supporting a bereaved child can be emotionally draining and it is important to recognise when you need some help. Read more
Being alongside anyone experiencing a loss can be emotionally draining, but supporting a bereaved child, particularly so. The need for support yourself is not a sign of an inability to cope or of professional incompetence, but a recognition that everyone needs help to carry out this demanding role. Read more
Training delivered by skilled facilitators, combining subject knowledge with extensive experience of working in their particular field of bereavement. Read more
I lost my best friend 2 years ago, when I was at the age of 20, from a fatal heart attack, which I witnessed along with my best friend’s Mum, near her home in her Mums car on the way to the cinema to see ‘Sex and the City 2’. We had known each other for years and were more like twins than just best friends. We would do everything together. The day that I lost my friend, my life changed forever. Read more
Coming to university was something I knew I would do from a fairly young age; but I had no idea that I’d be making the journey without my mum. She died when I was 16, and she never saw me pass my GCSEs, A levels or my Art Foundation course. She wasn’t there when I checked UCAS to find I had been accepted to study a degree in Fine Art at the college of my choice, something she knew I had wanted to do for a long time. Not having my mum around has been hardest at these important moments in my life Read more
Kayleigh's Mum died of cancer when she was 14. She talks about her experience and what has helped her. I remember the day that she told us that her cancer wasn’t going to go away. My brother and I just sat there not knowing what to say it came as a shock; we thought she was getting better. My brother was asking all sorts of questions about other treatments which could cure her, while I started crying not knowing what to say. Read more
My Dad died when I was 5 years old, in a mountaineering accident. It was in the summer holidays. I was at a summer holiday club, when one of the leaders told me that my Mum was in the office. I walked in and my Mum was flooding with tears. The first thing I thought was what’s happened, not really thinking what it could be. When my Mum told me, it didn’t hit home what had really happened. I can remember it clearly even now. Read more
A list of books and resources for children and adults when someone is seriously ill or not expected to live. Read more
Why should a secondary school have a bereavement policy? Planning for a critical incident or tragedy and the role of the school. Read more
An bereavement policy will help a primary school to consider a response in the event of the death of a child, member of staff, parent or member of the community. Read more
An Early Years bereavement policy will help a setting to consider a response in the event of the death of a child, member of staff, parent or member of the community. Read more
Resources to signpost for support bereaved students at college or university. Read more
Josephine was 12 years old when her dad died of cancer. Together with mum Kathryn, they share with us their experience. Read more
This film features children and their families who have attended Child Bereavement UK's Family Support Group in East London. We are very grateful to City Bridge Trust (a funder of our bereavement service in Newham) for enabling us to make the film at no cost to the charity through their filmmaking scheme Telling Your Stories, in partnership with Media Trust. Read more
"Once you start to talk about things it's like the burden is being lifted." Ben and Marina Fogle share their experience of when their son, Willem, was stillborn. Read more
Parents talk about some of the issues they faced when looking after bereaved children, whilst grieving themselves, and what helped them. Read more
A guide to supporting someone who is bereaved includes families supported by Child Bereavement UK alongside bereaved celebrities including Mary Berry, Rio Ferdinand, Ben and Marina Fogle, Joey Essex, and Jason Watkins, sharing their 'dos and don'ts' and practical tips around how to about support someone who is bereaved. Read more
Melissa and Katherine and their families were supported by Child Bereavement UK after being bereaved by suicide. This short film was released to raise awareness of World Suicide Prevention Day. If you have a child who has been bereaved by suicide and would like to seek support, please call our helpline on 08000288840. Read more
"I can wear the identity of being a bereaved parent rather than hide it." Vicky and John share their experience of when their twin baby, Cecilia, was stillborn. Read more
My Dad died when I was 11. He died of a heart attack so it was unexpected and sudden. As my parents had divorced when I was 3, this meant that I didn't really get to see my Dad, apart from some weekends. It also meant that as my parents hadn't been on good terms, my mum didn't feel like she could help my brother and I properly because she wasn't going through the same grief. Read more
Losing my dad is beyond doubt the worst thing that has ever happened to me. It was a complete shock, as he was fit and well and training for the iron man triathlon. He was more of a best friend than a dad. He was so much fun to be around, and knew everything about anything. I spent a lot of time with my dad, even though my parents were separated and had been since I was 5 years old. He always treated me like an adult and always respected my opinion. Read more
Isabelle is a 9-year-old school girl. This article was shortlisted for the age 8-9 category of the Learn2Think young journalist competition. 6,188 suicides were registered in the UK in 2017 (Samaritans, 2017) and 1 in 20 children will have experienced bereavement of a parent by the age of 16 (Parsons, 2011). Despite this, 6% of adults in Britain think that you shouldn’t talk to children about death (YouGov survey by Child Bereavement UK, 2016). Read more
By leaving a legacy to Child Bereavements UK, you will be ensuring that future generations have somewhere to turn to when a child dies or when a child grieves. Read more
A free initiative for schools that raises the topics of death and grief in a sensitive and age appropriate way. It helps teachers give children the emotional literacy and life skills needed to equip them for bereavement, now and in later life. Read more
Register Please register for an Elephant's Tea Party pack by filling in this FORM. Sign in If you have already registered, you can sign in to the download section HERE. Read more
Books and resources to support families when a baby or child has died. Read more
Many professionals are concerned that they have not had sufficient or appropriate training to offer grieving families the support they need. Read more
Grief may not feel normal but it is. Everyone will grieve in their own way. You may experience all sorts of feelings or you may feel nothing. You may find it easy to talk or you might bottle all of your emotions up. Grief is: “A massive bundle of different emotions and intense feelings. Feeling sad and missing somebody. Love happens and people die in your family. Someone who has lost someone and they can’t get over it. You cry over someone dying. You cry then you stop. Read more
How your school can learn about bereavement and help to raise funds for Child Bereavement UK. Read more
A free to download resource. A series of A4 fact sheets, offering guidance, support and information when a death occurs in the school community or when a school is facing an expected death. Read more
Children and young people grieve just as much as adults but they show it in different ways. They copy the responses of the adults around them, and rely on adults to provide them with the support. Read more
Bereavement can be devastating in any situation, but a sudden death brings additional layers of shock, horror or disbelief. The reality of what has happened may be very difficult to accept and you may be desperately searching for meaning and understanding. When a death is unexpected, you may have regrets over lost opportunities and unfulfilled plans. With no chance to say goodbye, there can be a sense of unfinished business, and a need to go over and over the events of what happened. Read more
It is important to tell a child of any age when someone important in their lives has died, and ideally this is done by someone who is closest to them. Read more
When a parent, main carer, sibling or other special person is not expected to live, the prospect of communicating this to a child is very daunting, especially when you are upset or in shock. Read more
Lawrence died by suicide when he was eighteen years old. His cousin Melissa and her son Theo talk about how his death affected them and how they’ve been supported by Child Bereavement UK. Read more
Roz’s son Richie died by suicide when he was 28. Roz talks about her experience and how she has been supported by Child Bereavement UK. Read more