About our Helpline

What we offer

National Helpline 0800 02 888 40 (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm)

Freephone, confidential helpline for people affected by bereavement and professionals supporting bereaved families.

Email for bereavement support: [email protected]

Live chat (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm)

Offering bereavement support and information. Click on the blue 'Chat with us' icon on our website

Our Helpline, Live Chat and support email services will be open during the Christmas 2019 period at the following times:

Monday 23 December	Normal hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Tuesday 24 December: Christmas Eve	9:00am – 2:00pm
Christmas Day	Closed
Boxing Day	Closed
Friday 27 December	10.00am – 4.00pm
Monday 30 December	10.00am – 4.00pm
Tuesday 31 December	10.00am – 4.00pm
Wednesday 1 January	Closed
2 January 2020 onwards	Normal hours (9:00am – 5:00pm)

The following helplines are open during the holidays:

Samaritans – 116 123 (freephone, open 24 hours a day)
The Compassionate Friends – 0345 123 2304 (open every day 10.00 – 4.00pm, 7.00pm – 10.00pm, see website for charges)
Child Death Helpline – (freephone) 0800 282 986 or 0808 800 6019 if calling from a mobile
SANDS (Stillbirth & neonatal death charity) – 0808 164 3332 (freephone, see website for opening hours)
Cruse Bereavement Care – 0808 808 1677 (freephone, see website for opening hours)
Cruse Scotland Helpline: 0845 600 2227

We provide confidential support, information and guidance to individuals, families and professionals throughout the UK. Our helpline team is available to respond to calls, live chats and emails 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday, except for Bank Holidays. We are a member of the Helplines Partnership.

Using our Helpline, email support service or live chat

When you contact us, we offer you time to explore your situation and provide information and emotional support through active listening. We can also direct you to other appropriate services, and can talk through approaches with you that other bereaved families have found helpful.

We do not offer counselling, medical information or advice, and we are not an emergency service.

Our services are confidential, but to help us answer your queries and guide you to appropriate support, we may ask some questions about your situation, such as your geographical location, and your age, or the age of those you are supporting.

For more information about how we use any personal information you give us, see our Privacy Policy.

Latest

MASTERCLASS: Mediating conflict and breaking bad news

11 May 2020, London
Going the Distance- 10,000 steps a day for one month

1st January- 31st December 2020
Helen and Shaun

Helen and her son Shaun, aged nine, were supported by Child Bereavement UK in Cumbria after her husband, Andrew, died by suicide.
MASTERCLASS: Working with bereaved couples

17 March 2020, London

Supporting bereaved children and young people

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.
Telling a child that someone has died

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.
Genevieve
Supporting a bereaved pupil

This comprehensive, free-to-access resource , Supporting a bereaved pupil has been developed by Child Bereavement UK in collaboration with the London Grid for Learning.
When your baby dies

When a baby lives only a short time or dies before birth due to miscarriage, stillbirth or a painful decision to end the pregnancy, people may assume that the loss is not important. This is simply not the case.
UK death & bereavement statistics

A parent of children under 18 dies every 22 minutes in the UK; around 23,600 a year. This equates to around 111 children being bereaved of a parent every day.
What we offer

We are recognised as the leading provider of training for professionals working with bereaved families.
Grieving for a child of any age

The agony of losing a child of any age is unparalleled. There is no age or point in time that makes it any easier. No parent expects to face the death of their child and no grandparent expects to lose their grandchild.
Contact us

Contact one of the Child Bereavement UK centres or get in touch with one of our departments.
Get support

Who do I ask and how? Who you ask for help depends on who you trust or who you feel comfortable to approach. You may want to find a time when you and this person can have a space and time together, away from others. What kinds of help are available to me? Apps, Websites and Forums Support from teachers, schools pastoral team Groups for young people Individual of family bereavement support or counselling If you would like to talk to someone about help and support contact us on 0800028884