Welcome to the sector hub for Children’s Grief Awareness Week
The Week is a chance for us to come together to show support for bereaved children and young people across the UK
This year, our theme is #KeepingConnected, helping children and young people feel connected to their friends, family, grief traditions and memories.
The Week aims to champion and celebrate the networks of support around bereaved children and young people, and the threads of hope that keep them connected.
This year, we’re delighted to be working with BBC’s and BBC Children’s in Need’s Pudsey and the Thread of Hope, based on the original story by Tom Fletcher. It follows Jai, a young boy whose father has died, as he embarks on a journey of healing, hope and adventure with Pudsey. Along the way, they meet other children connected by a golden thread of kindness and empowerment.
(Image reproduced from Pudsey and the Thread of Hope © BBC 2025.)
Download your resource pack today!
Plenty of ideas to get you started on running your Children's Grief Awareness Week activities in school, in your youth group, or your child bereavement service. Get tips and resources to support children and young people to
- identify people in their support universe and ask for the support they need
- #KeepConnected to their memories and the person who has died
- #KeepConnected to their grief cultures and traditions
- #KeepConnected to other bereaved children and young people
- be a good grief ally.
Key messages
- When someone important has died, we can feel disconnected and alone. As well as missing the person, our grief can make us feel lonely and isolated, and get in the way of our friendships and relationships.
- There are lots of ways of #KeepingConnected, whether you are grieving, or wanting to support a child or young person who's going through this.
- As a bereaved young person...
- ... #KeepingConnected to your friends and family can be helpful as you grieve. There are people who want to support, even if they don't know how
- ... #KeepingConnected to your memories and the person who died can be comforting and painful, sometimes at the same time. Places, music, food and experiences are just some of the ways you might feel connected to the person. Your feelings about these might change over time, and that's ok
- ... #KeepingConnected to your grief traditions - the way you 'do' grief in your family and culture - can help you feel involved and bring you closer together
- ... #KeepingConnected to other bereaved young people can help you feel less alone. There are others out there who 'get it' and you can support each other with tips and threads of hope.
- If you're supporting a bereaved young person, there are lots of ways of showing you care by #KeepingConnected.
For activities to explore these key messages, download the Children's Grief Awareness Week resource pack below.
The Children's Grief Awareness Week Steering Group
Linking the Week internationally
The week incorporates international Children's Grief Awareness Day, linking our Week internationally. Children's Grief Awareness Day is always the third Thursday of November (the Thursday before the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving).