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Grief Encounter Lifeline Appeal

We are thrilled to announce our BBC Lifeline Appeal, broadcast on BBC1 on 27th March and BBC2 on 29th March 2022, hosted by radio and TV personality, Roman Kemp. We need your support to make it a huge success!

The appeal is now available to view on iPlayer

Watch now, share and please help us reach even more bereaved children and young people across the UK.

Meet our Featured Families

Find out more about some of the bereaved children and young people, and their families, we have supported as well as one of our cherished helpline volunteers.

Joe

In 2019, just before the global pandemic, Joe experienced the death of his mum Michelle. Feeling like his grief was all consuming, affecting his University studies, and living in lockdown with his family all suffering their own emotions, Joe reached out to Grief Encounter. Lockdown meant that Joe was able to access online support from Grief Encounter counsellor, Kristina, and after a year Joe felt able to continue with his University studies. He is also now an advocate for youth grief support, positively channelling his grief by hosting a podcast centred on grief and loss. He credits Grief Encounter for giving him the confidence to move forward in his grief, remembering his mum in all that he does.

Floss

Floss’ dad died by suicide when she was four. Her Mum, Jess, contacted Grief Encounter shortly after to seek help on how to talk to her daughter about the death and the way in which he had died. Floss has taken part in age appropriate group workshops and residential weekends, and has found them to be a great comfort and a way to make like-minded friends, which has removed the isolation grief can so often bring. Jess credits Grief Encounter with giving Floss the strength to have confidence in telling other people about her Dad, to deal with her grief in a positive way and never feel like the ‘odd one out’.

Nick

Nick is a helpline volunteer for Grief Encounter, giving up his time to offer listening support and guidance to anyone who is suffering from grief. Having experienced the death of his father as a young person, and finding no support available to him, Nick understands first-hand the negative impacts grief can have without professional support. He feels that if he can help just one individual, when they need it most, just by listening and offering guidance, he can make a world of difference.

Rosie

Tom and Rosie experienced the death of their wife and mum to Cancer. As a surviving parent, Tom found his experience to be hugely isolating, and left him with his children struggling at school and trying to cope with the death of their mother. He reached out to Grief Encounter for tailored therapy to suit his eldest daughter Rosie’s needs and she began 12 months of play therapy, designed to help her move forward in her grief journey positively.  “Grief Encounter has been a huge part of my family’s life, after Laura died 3 years ago I didn’t know which way to turn. Grief Encounter has made a huge impact on our lives.”

Presented by Roman Kemp

“I’m honoured to be supporting this appeal for Grief Encounter, one of the UK’s leading bereavement charities, and a cause that is very close to my heart. I lost a dear friend to me in 2020. I understand just how important their work is in supporting children, young people and anyone who has, like me, experienced the death of a someone close. Every year in the UK, an estimated 40,000 children and young people experience the death of someone close, and Grief Encounter are there to give free, professional support when they need it most. With your support, they can reach even more bereaved children across the UK.”

How to Watch

Our Lifeline Appeal was broadcast on BBC1 on Sunday 27th March at at 13.50pm and BBC 2 on Tuesday 29th March at 1.05pm. You can now watch it on BBC iPlayer at your convenience.

Support Us and Share the Word! Please watch the appeal, and share with your friends, family and colleagues. You can help us reach bereaved children when they need us most.