Great North Swim

Distance: Variable | Registration Fee: From £19 | Fundraising Target: Open

Join us for the UK's biggest open water swimming event, the Great North Swim. This is a perfect challenge for swimmers of all abilities, including beginners, with a family-friendly, party atmosphere. Surrounded by some of the nation's most spectacular natural scenery - the Lake District National Park - the Great North Swim is an inspiring outdoor swim. To keep you safe, you'll be accompanied by trained water-safety kayakers, lifeguards and boats. Why not make a weekend of it and take the whole family along?

Why Child Bereavement UK?

Child Bereavement UK helps families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies. We support children and young people (up to the age of 25) when someone important to them has died or is not expected to live, and parents and the wider family when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying. We provide training to professionals in health and social care, education, and the voluntary and corporate sectors, equipping them to provide the best possible care to bereaved families.

When you fundraise for us, you’ll receive:

a welcome email and fundraising pack from our events team
a charity running vest to wear on the day with iron-on letters
support to achieve your target from our dedicated fundraising and events team
e-newsletters updating you with news from across the charity
access to our online Facebook group, where other fundraisers share training and fundraising advice

Be part of our team

If you would like to take part, please register on the challenge of your choice with The Great North Swim. Once you have confirmed your place, please join our team and support Child Bereavement UK. There’s no minimum sponsorship, all we ask is for you raise as much as you can with the support of our dedicated fundraising team.

Own Place Form

If you have any questions about the event, please don’t hesitate to contact our fundraising team on [email protected] or give us a call on 01494 569048

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Festival Volunteering FAQs

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The Pennant family share how they’re fundraising for Child Bereavement UK in memory of their son Ned and how they’ve raised funds with three previous challenges.
Ministry of Sound Classical

The Wyldes | Cornwall
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The Wyldes | Cornwall
Y Not Festival

Pikehall | Derbyshire
Festival Volunteering FAQs
London to Brighton Cycle

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Opinion: Why bereavement awareness needs to be on the business agenda

Jane Wood, CEO of Homes for Scotland and Scotland Advisor for Child Bereavement UK, writes about the importance of embedding bereavement awareness in businesses across the UK.
Petition launched calling for a register of bereaved children

A petition, backed by Winston's Wish, Child Bereavement UK and the Childhood Bereavement Network, is calling on government to create a register of bereaved children.
Sam

Sam shares why he fundraised for Child Bereavement UK by taking on the Barcelona Marathon in memory of his father.
Day to Remember Volunteer | Glasgow

Various dates | Glasgow | Full days

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.
Supporting bereaved children and young people

Children and young people grieve just as much as adults but they show it in different ways. Find out how you can help them and more about child grieving.
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.
When a grandparent dies - the impact on children and young people

The death of a grandparent is often a child or young person’s first encounter with the death of someone important. Parents have a great deal to manage when their own parent or carer dies. There is the grief associated with their own loss, but also the reactions and responses of their children to the death of a grandparent.
Children's understanding of death at different ages

Babies and young children have no understanding of the concept of death yet, long before they are able to talk, babies are likely to react to upset and changes in their environment brought about by the absence of a significant person.
Child Bereavement UK training

Child Bereavement UK designs and delivers training for professionals in health and social care, education, the emergency services and the voluntary and corporate sectors, equipping them to provide the best possible care to bereaved families.
Contact us

Contact details for our Helpline, departments and services.
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.
Children's understanding of death at different ages

Guidance on children's understanding of death at different ages and stages of development.
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.