Royal Patron: HRH The Duke of Cambridge

HRH The Duke of Cambridge has been Royal Patron of Child Bereavement UK since 2009.

Anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one will know only too well that you never stop grieving for those you have loved, and how important it is to find a way to live with that loss. Child Bereavement UK has been helping families facing that journey since 1994 and that is why I have been very proud to work with this incredible charity as its Patron since 2009.

HRH The Duke of Cambridge speaking at Child Bereavement UK's 25th Birthday Gala Dinner in June 2019.

TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited our bereavement centre in Stratford London and met with bereaved families we have supported.

HRH The Duke of Cambridge speaking at Child Bereavement UK’s 21st Birthday celebration in October 2015.

Message from HRH The Duke of Cambridge about bereavement support in schools and the importance of staff training.

Attending the launch of the ‘Remember on Mother’s Day’ campaign at London’s Sladmore Contemporary Art Gallery on Thursday 12th March 2009, where The Duke's patronage was announced.

We were honoured to welcome TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at our charity offices In Buckinghamshire on 19th March 2013, to see first-hand the groups we run with bereaved children, young people and parents: Photo Gallery

October 2011 – 100 Women in Hedge Funds Gala Dinner at St James’ Palace with the Duchess of Cambridge: Photo Gallery

November 2010 – Reception Dinner at Windsor Castle: Photo Gallery

Latest

Post 18 Education: Bereavement Awareness Session - follow-up resources

Further reading to empower you to feel confident to be able to offer pupils the support they may need and to develop a bereavement-aware culture within your settings, acknowledging the enduring nature of loss and helping pupils to manage their grief and develop resilience for the future.
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Bereavement awareness training for those working with the public - follow-up resources
Bereavement awareness training for staff working with the public: Post-webinar resources

Founder Patron: Julia Samuel MBE

Julia Samuel is a psychotherapist specialising in grief, who has spent the last twenty-nine years working with bereaved families. She has worked both in private practice and in the NHS at St Mary’s Hospital Paddington where she pioneered the role of maternity and paediatric psychotherapist. In 1994 she helped launch and establish the charity, and continues her role as Founder Patron.. Julia was awarded an MBE in the 2015 New Year’s Honours list for services to bereaved children.
Emily Arch

Emily is a Civil Servant. She was supported by Child Bereavement UK after her second daughter, Abbie, was stillborn in September 2013. Emily has spoken on various occasions, including: on BBC R4 Woman’s Hour; at a City Law Firm’s fundraising panel, gaining their support for Child Bereavement UK; and at an event at 10 Downing St.
Gary Barlow

Gary Barlow Very sadly, Gary and his wife Dawn’s baby daughter, Poppy, was stillborn on 4th August 2012. Gary and Dawn therefore wanted to support Child Bereavement UK; in October 2015, Gary performed at Banqueting House in London for the charity’s 21st birthday celebration.
Mary Berry CBE

Mary has supported many Child Bereavement UK fundraising events over the years and raised money for the charity on BBC2’s Celebrity Cash in the Attic, taking part in BGC’s trading floor fundraiser, as well as reading at our Carol Concerts , hosting afternoon teas and book signings, and featuring in our One More Minute film campaign. Mary has a personal affinity with the charity – her son William died in 1989 at the age of 19.
Daniel Casey

Daniel became a patron of Child Bereavement UK after seeing how much help, support and comfort they gave his dear friends Eleanor and Jamie Wroath, and their son Samuel, following the tragic death of their precious daughter Miranda in 2008. He saw first-hand what an incredibly important support network Child Bereavement UK provides to people during the most traumatic and devastating events in their lives.
Mike Clare

Mike founded and is now non-exec President of the national bed superstore Dreams. Mike is no stranger to bereavement: his father died when Mike was 12, which had a great impact on his young life. In 1999 his elder (and only) brother died. The impact of seeing his nephew and niece grieving and coming to terms with their loss at a very similar age to when Mike and his brother lost their father, brought home many memories and deep emotions.
Lady Lucinda Dashwood

Lady Dashwood is involved with various local charities and became interested in Child Bereavement UK when she met the founder Jenni Thomas in the early 1990’s, who she thought was inspiring. She has hosted the family day at West Wycombe Park annually at which snowdrops have been planted by families supported by Child Bereavement UK. Lady Dashwood said: "I think Child Bereavement UK is a great charity which deserves our continuing support."
Alexander Dickinson

Alexander has been a supporter of Child Bereavement UK since the death of his elder son, George, in April 2000. Since raising the finance in 2001 for the charity to establish a bereavement support post in his native North East of England, Alexander has worked on a number of other projects to raise funds for Child Bereavement UK. Alexander is a solicitor and became a Patron in 2006.
Jon and Simon Dyer

Jon and Simon proudly took over the role of Patrons from their father Barry Albin-Dyer OBE, following his death in 2015. Barry was a staunch supporter of Child Bereavement UK and the company is proud to have Child Bereavement UK as one of its charities. It regularly supports the charity through Albin’s legendary annual Christmas Memorial Service.
Joey Essex

Joey Essex starred in TOWIE and has appeared on I'm A Celebrity. His mum died when he was 10 years old. Joey said: It was really hard when my mum died, so I’m very happy to help Child Bereavement UK, so they can support other kids, and parents like my Dad, who are going through what we went through. "It’s a huge honour for me to be able to help raise awareness of Child Bereavement UK and the great work it does.

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.
What we offer

We are recognised as the leading provider of training for professionals working with bereaved families.
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.
Coronavirus – supporting bereaved children

Frightening events widely reported in the media, such as the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, can cause children to worry about themselves and others.
Bereavement Awareness training for schools and Early Years settings

Bereavement awareness training webinars for education providers, designed for and by those working in the education sector. The webinars provide an introduction to supporting a bereaved pupil in nursery; primary; and secondary settings.
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.
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.