National Grief Awareness Week

To raise awareness of the impact of grief
- Grief needs immediate acknowledgement
- When early access to a choice of support is not offered,
  a bereavement may lead to serious mental and physical health problems
To create a unified voice for all bereavement support services
- Help raise funds
- Help raise the profile for all charities
- Highlight the need for tailored support
- Help reduce the postcode lottery
Our vision

To raise awareness of the breadth of support we have in the UK
- Currently The Good Grief Trust has over 700 bereavement charities, support organisations,
  groups and services offering tailored help for any bereavement, anywhere in the UK.
- There are vital support services in the community that are often not known by the bereaved,
  or those working with them
- We aim to close the gaps and help repair the postcode lottery to ensure a uniform standard of care
Who are we reaching out to?
- Those living with grief as part of their life
- Those who have never experienced a significant bereavement
What are we trying to achieve?

To normalise grief and get the public talking
- To break the taboo
- To ensure grief becomes an easier topic to discuss
- To provide guidance of what to say and what to do to help the bereaved

Featured posters

Just because I’m smiling doesn’t mean I’m not grieving

The bereaved often have to hide their grief from others. Sometimes it is from their friends and family as they do not want to burden them. Sometimes it is from their colleagues at work. Please look out for them, check they are okay, in the early days and ongoing. They may look alright, they may be going to work, but deep inside they could be struggling and just need your support and understanding
Say their name, I’m thinking about them anyway

We are often afraid to mention the person's name who has died. We think we will upset our friend or family member, but it is generally the opposite. By saying their name, remembering them and talking about them, you are helping to share your love and affection for that person. This is very important and will help those grieving to know that you will help to keep their memory alive.
There’s no one face of grief

Grief does not discriminate. We will all be affected by a bereavement. Children, young people, the older generation, all faiths, all religions, all cultures, all sectors of our community will grieve. We need to help all minority groups who are often stigmatised to #OpenUpToGrief and help to support anyone, anywhere who needs help.
There’s no set time for grieving

There is a myth that you 'get over' grief. That you 'move on'. You don't. You move forward with your grief, but you may be affected by a bereavement throughout your whole life. Often after the funeral, people leave and things go 'back to normal'. This is the time when the bereaved most need support, when they feel alone and isolated. We need to understand that there are triggers that may come from nowhere that will affect them in the weeks, months and years after the death.

Featured Organisations

Drugfam

DrugFAM was founded in 2006 by Elizabeth Burton-Phillips MBE, in memory of her son, Nicholas Mills. For over ten years, Nick, and his twin brother Simon, were addicted to hard drugs...
Anne Robson Trust

The Trust funds Butterfly volunteer teams to visit patients in hospitals who are in the last days and hours of their life and provide support for them and their loved ones....
WAY

WAY is the only national charity in the UK for people aged 50 or under when their partner died. It’s a peer-to-peer support group operating with a network of volunteers who...
St Christopher’s Hospice

At St Christopher’s we put people at the heart of everything we do. We believe that all dying people and those close to them deserve to have the best care and...