Grief Encounter Collaboration

For a lot of families, Mother’s Day is a joyful occasion filled with appreciation and celebration; we take pride in spoiling the wonderful women in our lives and thanking them for everything they do. Mother’s Day isn’t quite as pleasant for some households, though. For those who’ve lost a mum, especially bereaved children and young people, it can be stressful and overwhelming to see everyone else coming together to praise and honour the mothers who are still with us. Though it’s well-intentioned, Mother’s Day can end up intensifying feelings of loneliness, sadness and frustration for those who have suffered a bereavement, making their existing heartache even more poignant at this time of year.

Grief Encounter helps bereaved children navigate through these really tricky, confusing emotions. As one of the UK’s leading childhood bereavement charities, they provide open-access support services to young people experiencing the unimaginable trauma of bereavement. Grief Encounter help to address the multiple obstacles that occur when a loved one passes away but, at the same time, are firm believers in the healing process; they pride themselves not only on helping young people manage this immense trauma, but helping them move forward in their grief journeys.  

As such, we’re delighted to be supporting Grief Encounter this Mother’s Day by celebrating our Hummingbird Collection. Our aim with this special capsule collection is to benefit all families – those whose mothers are still with them, and those who struggle with this celebration due to a bereavement.

Dr Shelley Gilbert MBE, founder of Grief Encounter explains, “Huge thanks to Sara Miller for collaborating with us on this very special collection. The importance of remembering our lost loved ones and marking occasions to reflect on their life is vital in the grieving process. You can still celebrate Mother’s Day even if your mother has died. You still have a mother, she’s just not here.” This sentiment is echoed throughout Grief Encounter’s work, and this meaningful cause makes us proud to collaborate with them.  

As Sara explains, “I have always had a really close relationship with my mum and have been lucky enough to call on her for anything. I am also a recent mum myself and can’t imagine the unthinkable heartache families must go through when they lose a loved one. Grief Encounter represent such a fantastic cause and I’m proud to be working in collaboration with them. At work, I am fortunate enough to create beautiful things that make women feel treated and loved; the hummingbird and moon design felt symbolic for this collection as a comforting sign that the spirit of one’s loved ones live on.”

As you can tell, Grief Encounter’s work means a lot to us. In a nation where 44,000 children are bereaved of a parent annually (that’s 1 in 29 children under the age of 15, or 1 in every UK classroom), the unique support they’re providing is truly immeasurable. As such, 100% of profits from the sales of the Hummingbird Jewellery Collection from 24^th February to 31^st March will be going directly to Grief Encounter.

This collection includes a Necklace, Stud Earrings, and Drop Earrings plated with 18ct gold. The designs feature a delicate hummingbird with fluttering movement protected by a crescent moon and are presented in our signature gift packaging, making the perfect gift or treasured keepsake. Prices range from £30-£65. This campaign is exclusive to www.saramiller.london.    

Above: Dr. Shelley Gilbert MBE, and founding Patron, Kevin Wells. 

We caught up with Grief Encounter to delve a little deeper into their history, their funding and the motivation behind the inspirational work they do.

1. When was Grief Encounter founded and what inspired its creation?

Dr. Shelley Gilbert MBE founded Grief Encounter in December 2003. Having lost both her parents by the age of 9 years old, Shelley was driven by the desire to provide support services to all children and young people bereaved of a parent or sibling, something she did not have access to when she started her grief journey. Shelley has devoted her life to telling children the truth about death and hearing, in turn, their feelings about being bereaved. She set up the charity to offer counselling and support to children who have lost a parent or sibling. "One of my campaigns is to make things different for today's bereaved children. They need to be chief mourners and they need to be acknowledged. I grew up with two feeling words – happy and sad – and there was nothing in between.” Starting Grief Encounter at her kitchen table, her first project, the award-winning and bestselling Grief Encounter Workbook has now become a national charity, offering support to over 3000 families annually.

Above: A young Dr. Shelley Gilbert and her parents. 

2. What sets Grief Encounter apart from similar charities?

Grief Encounter’s unique services set us apart from similar charities. With a minimum commitment to families of 2 years on our Family Programme, all of our therapeutic staff are qualified and trained, delivering bespoke support to children, young people and their families. We also produce all of our unique resources in-house, overseen by our founder, Dr. Shelley Gilbert MBE.

3. Mother’s Day is hard for those who have been bereaved. How do you help children through this difficult time?

We hold annual workshops on trigger events such as Mother’s Day which focus on memory-making and remembering, which is hugely important in the grief journey. Here are some tips from Grief Encounter on supporting bereaved children through Mother’s Day:

• Provide a supporting ear, and remind children you are there for them, but also that you understand if they don’t want to talk. Explain that you know this must be a difficult time for them, but that if they want to talk you are there for them whenever they feel ready.
• Remember the day. Ask them if they would like to make a card for their mother and perhaps include a letter inside which can help them express their feelings.
• Encourage siblings and family members to support each other. Ask siblings to support one another and look out for one another during this time. Perhaps they may want to do something together to remember their mum such as look through photos, make a memory box or light a candle.
• Remember that children grieve at different stages. Understand this is normal and perhaps mark the occasion on a day that feels less pressured.
• Self-care for families and friends. It can be tempting to place all of the focus on the child who is grieving, but if you were close to the person too – perhaps they were your spouse, partner, or child – then make some time for yourself to reflect and get support if needed. This will allow you to better support the child.
• Seek support. Professional bereavement counselling as an early intervention in the grieving process can be hugely beneficial along the grief journey. Seek local or national support from a bereavement charity such as Grief Encounter, who have a national support helpline on 0808 802 0111, or speak to your GP or health care professional.

4. How is the charity funded?

Bereaved children are not currently viewed as a vulnerable group in society by the government, which means that charities such as Grief Encounter receive no government funding. As such, Grief Encounter rely upon the generosity of our private donors to fund our vital and essential work. We work closely with corporate sponsors, trusts and foundations and hold regular fundraising events.

5. How are the funds raised spent?

Funds raised by individual companies fall under our unrestricted donations, so we can use them where the greatest need lies:

• £5 pays for one 30-minute phone call to our NEW Grief Talk Helpline, giving a child immediate help from a qualified professional, when they need it most.
• £15 pays for a selection of books for a bereaved child to help them understand the feelings they are experiencing following the death of a loved one.
• £35 provides a 1:1 counselling session for a bereaved child, offering professional support and coping mechanisms for dealing with a death of a parent or sibling.
• £50 pays for one bereaved family to attend a ‘Fun Day’, an opportunity to meet and form relationships with other bereaved families.
• £60 allows one bereaved child to attend a therapeutic workshop, giving bespoke creative therapy to help them express their feelings.
• £100 provides a Grief Relief Kit for one bereaved family, with professional resources including our award-winning Workbook and Forever Journal, helping children process the death of a loved one.
• £150 will pay for one bereaved family to attend a Group Counselling session, bringing them together t talk about their feelings as a family unit.
• £350 pays for 10 sessions of 1:1 counselling, providing consistent care along the child’s journey.
• £500 allows one bereaved family to attend a ‘residential weekend,’ helping them make new memories, together.
• £1000 will pay for a dedicated Trauma Specialist to work with a school following the death of a student, providing staff and students with training and group counselling.
• £2000 ensures one family can participate in our Family Programme for one year, including a range of workshops, 1:1 counselling, e-counselling and Fun Days.
• £3000 will pay for 1 Family Fun day for up to 80 bereaved children and their families, giving bereaved children an opportunity to take ‘time out’ and enjoy themselves.
• £5000 pays for our specialist Trauma Unit to provide national assistance in the event of a humanitarian disaster such as Grenfell, lending our support through workshops, group counselling and in-school training.
• £10,000 will pay for a range of Grief Encounter’s therapeutic workshops delivered in one year for bereaved children and families, allowing us to develop innovative and creative methods to help children and young people.