Winston’s Wish is delighted to be partnering with Teapot Trust, a mental health charity that provides support and improves the lives of children living with chronic health conditions through art therapy. Together, the charities will signpost children and young people to one another’s services and provide mutual training for staff from both organisations. This will make sure children and young people are able to access the right support at the right time.  

Members of Teapot Trust Young Voices highlighted the complexity of living with chronic illness and grief. It was noted that little support and information currently exists about this so this partnership aims to change that, putting the voices of young people at the centre and developing a ‘toolbox’ of accessible and relevant tools. 

Excitingly young ambassadors and volunteers from Winston’s Wish and Teapot Trust will work together to co-produce a resource aimed at helping children living with chronic illnesses deal with grief and bereavement. 

Ally Lloyd, Teapot Trust Young Voices Participation Officer comments, “As a charity supporting the mental health of children and young people living with chronic illness, we see the complex ways in which bereavement affects, and is affected by, living with a chronic illness. Living with a chronic illness can affect the way a young person is able to grieve and access support.  

“Bereavement and grieving can be very physical experiences that can lead to flare-ups and worsen symptoms for folk living with a chronic illness. As individuals, families, friendship groups, and communities, young people have (through necessity) worked out how best to manage this. This project is a supportive space to bring these experiences, learnings, and questions together. Together, as Winston Wish’s Youth Team and Teapot Trust’s Young Voices, we can better understand the complexities of chronic illness and bereavement and take the first steps to making that experience easier for others.” 

“It’s so exciting to begin this partnership with Teapot Trust to combine the very real experiences of being bereaved whilst living with a chronic illness. The concept for this project came from the young people themselves, wanting to make sure others were supported and recognised in their experience, and it is these voices that will drive and develop the partnership.”

 

Fenella Prior-Smith, Head of Youth Participation at Winston’s Wish

The partnership will draw upon the lived experiences of young people from Winston’s Wish and Teapot Trust.  

Amber, Teapot Trust Young Voices Volunteer, comments, “I’m really looking forward to working on such an important, needed project. Chronic illness and bereavement are incredibly complicated. Not only can it impact the way you are able to grieve loved ones, but it also exposes you to unique kinds of grief like having people you know with similar conditions to you die or witnessing deaths whilst admitted to hospital. It’s an area that currently doesn’t feel very well-resourced or understood, so I hope this collaboration between Winston’s Wish and Teapot Trust can start the conversation and begin to fill the gap in resources.” 

Winston’s Wish Youth Ambassador Eden, 21, comments, “I wanted to get involved as I feel it is important for those of us with chronic illness to share our views on how grief affects us as sometimes it can be even harder especially if we aren’t able to distract ourselves by taking part in hobbies, socialising, etc due to limited energy so think it’s important our voices and experiences are represented and I’m looking forward to making a difference.” 

True to the charity’s vision that no child is left to grieve alone, Winston’s Wish is keen to ensure its services are visible to grieving children and young people throughout the UK and is committed to reaching those with additional needs and disabilities.  

Winston’s Wish is delighted to partner with Teapot Trust and is looking forward to creating this specialised resource following the launch of this meaningful co-production project. 

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Bereavement training for professionals

We offer a range of training, from support immediately after a death in your school community to free online lessons that you can download via our website and even tailored sessions to meet the needs of your school or organisation.

View our training courses and give yourself the skills and confidence to support bereaved pupils in your classroom.

Resources for Schools

Access our resources library for schools, that offer guidance on creating bereavement guides, strategies and charter documents.

By using our templates you can have a strategy to support children and young people in your classroom following a death in the school community.

Winston’s Wish has officially partnered with Olive Academies, a pioneering multi-academy trust, specialising in alternative learning provision supporting 7-16-year-olds who are unable to attend mainstream schools to reach their full potential. 

After identifying that 19% of academy students have experienced bereavement, with a significant proportion bereaved by acts of domestic violence, the partnership will see Winston’s Wish deliver specialist training for staff supporting bereaved pupils and offer direct support for students through the charities innovative digital bereavement services.  

Our partnership with Olive Academies provides specialist training support to students and teachers who are either going through bereavement or supporting those that are. It is an honour to be working with such a proactive organisation whose aim is that every child and young person has the right to learn and achieve.

 

Fergus Crow, CEO of Winston’s Wish

Helena Boast at Olive Academies, said: “The specialist work of Winston’s Wish directly impacts so many of our pupils experiencing bereavement and grief, helping them to move on with their lives and thrive. 

“Providing access to professional child-centred bereavement support, information and resources through this partnership is a wonderful addition to the high-quality pastoral care already in place across our academies. I am delighted to be able to offer this service to our pupils, their families and academy staff.” 

To date, 50 staff working across five academies in Havering, Thurrock, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk have received specialist training covering an introduction to childhood bereavement, the impact of grief at different ages and stages and how to help. 

Since attending the training 98% of academy staff said they would recommend the sessions and 74% rated their confidence in supporting a bereaved student as 4/5 after receiving the training. 

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Bereavement training for professionals

We offer a range of training, from support immediately after a death in your school community to free online lessons that you can download via our website and even tailored sessions to meet the needs of your school or organisation.

View our training courses and give yourself the skills and confidence to support bereaved pupils in your classroom.

Resources for Schools

Access our resources library for schools, that offer guidance on creating bereavement guides, strategies and charter documents.

By using our templates you can have a strategy to support children and young people in your classroom following a death in the school community.

Winston’s Wish is delighted to announce its new partnership with cancer care charity Maggie’s. These two national charities are pleased to join hands to help ensure that children and young people receive true wraparound support when someone in the family or friend circle is living with advanced cancer.  

Maggie’s has 24 cancer centres built in the grounds of NHS hospitals throughout the UK.  The charity provides expert support from diagnosis onwards for the person with cancer as well as family and friends.    

Maggie’s Chief Executive Dame Laura Lee said: “Our experts are there for people at possibly the hardest time of their lives, offering free practical and psychological care and support when they need it most. We are here for people with cancer and those who love them for every stage which includes pre bereavement or when bereaved.  

“In 2023 we supported people living with cancer more than 300,000 times and we know that number will only rise as more people find themselves living with cancer.”  

Each year Winston’s Wish supports and impacts the lives of more than 80,000 grieving children and young people when their lives are turned upside down by bereavement.   

As well as providing support with bereavement, whether it is from traumatic circumstances, illness or other circumstances, the charity also provides advice for pre-bereavement when there is a terminal diagnosis including offering expert support surrounding how adults can talk to younger children about death and dying, the importance of using direct language and tips about how to remember their special person.   

In a similar vein, Maggie’s supports the entire family when there is a cancer diagnosis and offers support to young people when somebody in their circle receives the news that someone they love has cancer.  

 Winston’s Wish vision is that no child is left to grieve alone and as such, Winston’s Wish is pleased to be joining forces with the national cancer charity, in order to be visible and accessible in relevant spaces. As part of the partnership, each charity’s services will be signposted to service-users to ensure that they know of the specialised support available to them.  

Letizia Perna, Director of Services and Service Transformation at Winston’s Wish is pleased to officially announce the partnership between the two charities. She says, “As we publicly announce the partnership between Winston’s Wish and Maggie’s, we will be combining expertise in childhood bereavement and cancer support.  

“This strategic partnership between our two charities demonstrates a profound commitment to supporting children, young people, and families impacted by cancer, particularly those navigating the challenges of bereavement. Together, we will offer a compassionate network that embraces bereaved children, young people, and families, ensuring they feel seen, understood, and supported through their grief journey.”  

Maggie’s Chief Executive Dame Laura Lee said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Winstons’ Wish.  By working together, we will ensure that thousands of children and young people experiencing bereavement through cancer get exactly the right support they need.  

“We see and hear in our centres everyday how the impact of a cancer diagnosis ripples out through families.”  

Together with Maggie’s, Winston’s Wish is keen to ensure that its services are visible and accessible to the countless children, young people and their families throughout the UK whose lives are turned upside down by grief. With support from Maggie’s and their expert cancer support, the charities are pleased to announce their partnership and work together to improve the accessibility of support for young people when cancer is close to home.  

“Together, we will offer a compassionate network that embraces bereaved children, young people, and families, ensuring they feel seen, understood, and supported through their grief journey.”  

 

Letizia Perna, Director of Services and Service Transformation

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Support for Parents and Carers

Caring for a bereaved child or young person can be complex. While we can’t take away a young person’s loss, we can help you to help them thrive again.

We offer a range of support to families, so you can help the child or young person in your life, navigate their grief.

Support for Schools

Teachers play a vital role in the lives of bereaved children and young people, and often many don’t receive bereavement training.

At Winston’s Wish, we want to change that, which is why we provide guides, resources, free online learning and tailored training sessions for schools and professionals.

A new All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Childhood Bereavement has been proposed with the aim of raising awareness of the impact of bereavement on children and young people and encourage debate between children, young people, families, and professionals to develop policy solutions. MPs are now being encouraged to join the planned group to advocate for the needs of bereaved children and young people in their constituencies…and we need your help to reach them!  

Christine Jardine MP is behind the planned group with Winston’s Wish as the secretariat. To mark Children’s Grief Awareness Week 2024 Christine will be hosting an event for MPs with organisations in the sector so they can hear more about the impact of grief and bereavement from Winston’s Wish, Widowed and Young, the Childhood Bereavement Network and ABC Grief.  

Winston’s Wish is also imploring local MPs to make the needs of the bereaved children and young people in their constituencies a priority and consider joining the APPG.  

You can help by letting your local MP know about the group and encourage them to stand up for the grieving children and young people in your communities by joining the planned APPG.  

Send a letter, email or send a message on Facebook or X (formerly Twitter) using our template, simply personalise the details where prompted. You can find your MP and their contact details at members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP  

As the UK’s first childhood bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish acknowledges how important it is that the often overlooked topic of childhood bereavement should be discussed at a policy level. CEO of Winston’s Wish Fergus Crow commented: 

“Childhood bereavement is an often-overlooked issue that affects thousands of children across our nation each year. According to estimates, approximately 1 in 29 children will experience the death of a parent or sibling before they reach adulthood. That’s at least one child in every classroom.   

“The impact of loss during formative years can be profound, leading to emotional distress, academic challenges, and social withdrawal. Without appropriate support, these children may struggle with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression and are more likely to engage in risk taking behaviours, hindering their ability to thrive both personally and academically. It is imperative that we prioritise their needs within governmental policies and frameworks.”  

We implore MPs to make the needs of the bereaved children and young people in their constituencies a priority and consider joining the APPG.

 

Fergus Crow, CEO of Winston’s Wish

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Support for Parents and Carers

Caring for a bereaved child or young person can be complex. While we can’t take away a young person’s loss, we can help you to help them thrive again.

We offer a range of support to families, so you can help the child or young person in your life, navigate their grief.

Support for Schools

Teachers play a vital role in the lives of bereaved children and young people, and often many don’t receive bereavement training.

At Winston’s Wish, we want to change that, which is why we provide guides, resources, free online learning and tailored training sessions for schools and professionals.

Television personality and BBC Race Across the World Winner Alfie Watts will release his debut single, Hopeless Wings, on the 31st of October to raise funds for Winston’s Wish. 

As an ambassador for the UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity, Alfie is keen to be a grief advocate for young people as well as raising awareness and funds for Winston’s Wish. 

He says “I feel like it’s important to find creative ways to channel my grief. When you are bereaved, especially at a young age, it can feel like you’ve been dealt a huge blow and are at a considerable disadvantage to your peers but there’s a big piece of me that is keen to try and break that mould and challenge myself along the way.” 

Alfie recently became an ambassador for Winston’s Wish and uses his experience and voice to be an advocate for grieving young people.  

A lot of the time people assume that I’m constantly sitting with my grief and while I can’t deny that it is part of my history.

 

Alfie Watts

“My Mum died when I was 5 and everyday I’m aware of that but I don’t want it to define me. I am keen to try and make something with what I can and if I can use something as creative as music to do that, then I feel like I’ve achieved something and have grown as a person with grief. That’s why I decided to sit down and record my charity single, Hopeless Wings, which will also raise funds for Winston’s Wish for whom I am an ambassador.” 

Alfie recently recorded his single in a studio in Cambridge and filmed the music video whilst on his travels abroad in Norway. The inspiration came whilst filming the BBC hit show Race Across the World which Alfie won along with his friend Owen. “I actually wrote the lyrics for the chorus on a bus when we were filming Race Across the World. The lyrics just naturally flowed, and it felt significant to be feeling my grief even at a time when I was completely distracted by the competition.”  

Alfie recalls, “Spending time writing and recording the song and music video was, at times, incredibly raw because you can’t move away from the lyrics and what you are trying to communicate but it is also a powerful feeling. It’s not always easy for young people to know how to handle their emotions so I’m pleased to have challenged myself to have to express my grief and it felt powerful. 

“Getting into the studio was also such an amazing experience. When you’re facing the microphone and you’re seeing your emotions, your words and the thoughts they carry match with the music, it really brings it home to you what you are there for and that can be incredibly cathartic. Music connects people too so in a way, it helps me to feel connected to the thought of my mum too which felt significant.

“As well as there being a big piece of this which is about my own experiences of grief, I want this to be about other young people who have experienced bereavement in their younger years too. That’s why I decided to bare my nerves and release it publicly as I want to help raise funds for Winston’s Wish who directly support children and young people when their lives are turned upside down by bereavement, like mine was.  

“I want as many young people as possible to know about this special charity and the support that is out there and designed just for them. Obviously, although they offer their instant bereavement support free of charge, each day there are people answering helpline calls and working behind the scenes to provide services to young people, parents, teachers and others who are coping with a bereavement. For me, fundraising is a key part of what I want to do to support the charity so that they can continue to make sure that no child has to grieve alone.” 

Hopeless Wings is Alfie’s debut single and is available from the 31st of October on iTunes and Apple with all proceeds going to Winston’s Wish. Keep an eye on socials for the latest updates!

Winston’s Wish has launched a new SEND Rapid Response package designed to support educational providers following a bereavement in the school community. 

We have worked exclusively with Sarah Helton, a SEND Trainer and Consultant who specialises in grief and bereavement, to create this specific package designed with SEND pupils in mind. 

Sarah, also known as the BackPocketTeacher, has worked in the Special Educational Needs/Disabilities (SEND) field for more than 25 years and has an outstanding track record in a diverse range of roles from Deputy Head to Local Authority Education Officer as well as Educational Publisher. 

Rapid Response is a trailblazing package offered by Winston’s Wish to education settings to offer fast bereavement support when there has been a death in the school community. This special training session, delivered online, is designed to support teachers and school staff to be able to recognise signs of grief and to support pupils through the bereavement.  

The SEND Rapid Response one-day package covers such topics as how to communicate what has happened, how to offer support and understanding around complex feelings and explore the fears around the pupil’s own mortality or that of others, as well as offering help and acknowledging the wellbeing of the teachers who are supporting grieving pupils.  

All schools will experience bereavement, but for special schools it can sadly occur more frequently. A significant death within the school community can have a ripple effect, impacting students, staff and families, making it hard to balance their own grief whilst supporting the grief of others.  

In recognition of this Winston’s Wish is offering SEND Rapid Response Training aimed at supporting special schools helping them through the toughest of times and preparing them for future losses. This online training session will consider the particular needs that staff will face when helping young people to understand and express their grief whilst being mindful of staff wellbeing. We are very excited to launch this important training to complement our ongoing work in supporting bereaved young people with additional needs. 

 

Sarah Helton, BackPocketTeacher

Sarah went on to say, “The needs of children and young people with SEND are often overlooked due to their cognitive or communication differences. We know that a young baby can be affected by the death of a parent. If a baby has the capacity to experience this, then every child with SEND has at least this level of understanding and it is often much higher than we realise. 

“There are many perceived barriers to children and young people with SEND gaining bereavement and grief support, but in reality, the only true barrier is us. We need to have confidence to talk about death and grief to all young people.” 

Letizia Perna, Director of Services and Service Transformation at Winston’s Wish comments, “Sarah’s collaboration with Winston’s Wish elevates our ability to address the unique challenges faced by bereaved SEND children and young people. By integrating their perspectives more deeply, we’ll create even more nuanced, effective support systems that truly resonate with their experiences.  

“We’re passionately committed to amplifying the voices of SEND children and young people throughout our organization. The lived experiences, ideas, and feedback of all bereaved children and young people will continue to be at the heart of our decision-making processes, programme development, and service delivery.” 

SEND Bereavement Support

SEND Rapid Response training

Our SEND Rapid Response training offers bereavement training and support for schools needing urgent help.

The course is available to teachers and schools following a death in the school community. Find out more about our new training.

Supporting a bereaved child with SEND

For those supporting a child with SEND you may be inclined to want to protect and shield children and young people from difficult and sad situations.

But it’s important to have honest and open conversations, which is why we provide information and guidance to supporting children with additional needs and disabilities.

The Greeting Card Association has joined forces with Winston’s Wish to create a new set of principles to be rolled out throughout the greeting card industry to remember grieving young people in sympathy card spaces.

Moonpig recently hosted a special workshop at their headquarters with industry professionals and members of the Winston’s Wish Youth Ambassador team.

A total of eight members of the Winston’s Wish Youth Ambassador team between the ages of eight and 25 were welcomed behind the curtain of greeting cards to share their personal experiences and feelings regarding receiving sympathy cards following a bereavement.

Amanda Fergusson, CEO of the Greeting Card Association comments, “Greeting cards are very special things, sent when times are difficult as well as to celebrate. The UK card industry cares deeply that our cards resonate with all communities, with the language and imagery customers need to connect with loved ones at all the key times in life.

“We were pleased when Winston’s Wish got in touch, highlighting the importance of cards to bereaved children, and that they were keen to work with us to fill what they felt was a gap for cards suitable for children at times of bereavement. Listening to and working with the Winston’s Wish Youth Ambassadors at our workshop was really inspiring and insightful.

“Those of us from the card industry who attended really appreciated the frank critique of some of the cards currently available. This work will result in a document that will be available for all greeting card publishers keen to design cards appropriate for bereaved children. Some of the publishers who attended the workshop have already started work!”

Ashleigh, who attended the workshop says, “Attending the event for Winston’s Wish was an incredible experience. It was inspiring to meet other Youth Ambassadors and collaborate with Moonpig and the greeting card companies. The opportunity to share and discuss our ideas for improving sympathy cards for bereaved children was deeply rewarding.”

Everyone there was so patient, understanding and they just listened with no judgement. All members got stuck in and really showed an interest to hearing our stories.

Abigail, Youth Ambassador

Often described as the ‘forgotten mourners’, many young people feel that their bereavement experience is not acknowledged or tailored specifically for them. Many of the children and young people Winston’s Wish supports are coping with the death of a parent, sibling, friend or another relative.

Currently sympathy cards tend to use very adult language which may not make sense to a young person. Words like ‘sorry for your loss’ can leave children confused as to why people were apologising. Phrases like ‘with sympathy’ didn’t make sense to young minds and the classic sympathy card imagery was sad and didn’t offer children or young adults the warmth and comfort they needed the most at that time.

The Greeting Card Association is keen to be a champion of change in the sympathy card spaces by consulting the children and young adults who wished they had received a card designed with them in mind.

The special workshop brought together designers, publishers, retailers and the young people themselves to discuss what bereaved children and young people would like to see on the shelves.

Paul Moore, Director of Fundraising at Winston’s Wish comments, “As a charity, we are constantly listening to the children and young people we support to ensure that our work continues to evolve to meet their needs.

“We heard time and time again that children felt left-out following a bereavement as sympathy cards arrived addressed to only the adults in the family. We knew something needed to change and are delighted to be working with the Greeting Card Association to ensure that not only are children and young people represented in the products available but that these products are designed with their needs in mind.”

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Our Youth Team

The Greeting Cards Association meeting is just one of many ways that our Junior Youth Team and Youth Team are helping to shape the future of bereavement support.

Find out more about our teams and how children and young people can get involved.

Volunteer for Winston’s Wish!

Want to support Winston’s Wish in other ways? Why not become a volunteer and help us in our mission to ensuring no child grieves alone.

Whether that be championing Winston’s Wish in your local community, cheering on our challengers or supporting our fundraising team – there is a role for everyone!

Winston’s Wish is delighted to be welcoming its newest Ambassador, Alfie Watts. Many will recognise Alfie as the recent star of the BBC hit series Race Across the World where he revealed his own personal story of childhood bereavement during an especially poignant moment during his race to the finish line in which he remembered his Mum. 

Alfie’s Mum died when he was just five years old after she was diagnosed with cancer when he was only a newborn. Alfie recalls his mother’s determination to see him to his first day of school, “My Mum’s number one aim was to see me in school. She said, that ‘If I’m going to die, then at least, I’m going to die whilst he’s in school.’ And she did, she died when I was five.  

Over time she created a memory box with messages and photos and all kinds of things. She took me to my first day of school and I think it was a proud moment for her when she took me, but it was a deterioration from there, she’d pushed as far as she could and by Christmas of 2008, it was just a bridge too far

Alfie Watts, Winston’s Wish Ambassador

Alfie’s grief was triggered during a poignant moment in the series, he recalls, “I always knew that that moment would come up when it would be appropriate to remember my mum during the show. Part of me that always knew that there would be a right moment to open up about it; it felt necessary.” 

Viewers will recall when Alfie and Owen arrived in the beautiful Vietnamese city of Hoi An which is famed for its canals and lanterns, lit to remember deceased relatives. “Seeing all the lanterns in Hoi An was a beautiful yet bizarre experience,” recalls Alfie. “It was triggering because it took me right back to when I was younger; each year, we had a tradition in my family that we would light a lantern to remember my Mum, and we’d write a little message. Reigniting that moment was as special as it was poignant.” 

Now aged 21, with a hit television series under his belt, Alfie is keen to be a voice for bereaved young people and champion grief advocacy. He explains, “For me, growing up without my Mum was my normal. It wasn’t a nice normal, but it was my normal, I simply didn’t know anything else. It’s hard for other people who haven’t been bereaved to empathise with.  

“I was aware of charities like Winston’s Wish when I was younger, and I’m delighted to now be an ambassador for such an important charity that is reaching the thousands of young people across the UK who are in a similar situation to me.” 

Winston’s Wish is excited to welcome Alfie Watts as the charity’s newest ambassador and looks forward to working with him to raise awareness for the charity and its service.  

I wanted to do something incredible with Race Across the World, and telling my story about how my mum passed away when I was five, I knew that I wanted to follow that up by being a male voice in the community.

Alfie Watts, Winston’s Wish Ambassador

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Alfie’s charity single

In October 2024 our Ambassador Alfie, released his single, Hopeless Wings, to raise awareness and funds for Winston’s Wish.

Alfie is keen to be a leading voice in the grief community, especially for young males and hopes his new single will do just that!

Volunteer for Winston’s Wish!

Do something amazing by becoming a volunteer and help spread the word about Winston’s Wish.

Whether you’re championing Winston’s Wish in your local area, cheering on our fundraisers at the finish line or letting everyone know how to get support if they need it, by volunteering you can make a difference.