The best information, guidance & resources for bereaved children
Child Bereavement UK is the leading charity specialising in losing a child or child bereavement. They are very well established and have a brilliant website, with a section that covers sudden death and suicide. Their vision is ‘for all families to have the support they need to rebuild their lives, when a child grieves or when a child dies’ and they aim to tackle the inequalities that exist in the quality, accessibility and availability of bereavement support and training within the UK.
They also offer free and confidential bereavement support for anyone living in the UK by telephone, video or instant messenger or face-to-face support from a number of locations. This includes support sessions or group meetings for different groups of people to attend. Alongside this, Child Bereavement UK also has a helpline that is open between 9am-5pm on Monday-Friday. Furthermore, on their website, they provide a searchable database of support organisations that can also help during this difficult time.
They have testimonials, information guides, videos and practical support tips. There are two great downloadable guides specific to suicide-related grief and they've also curated a list of books similar to ours but that are good for children.
Additionally, they have a resources section on their website for professionals which supplies videos, books, films and more for those helping to support bereaved individuals in a professional setting. Some of these resources also specifically cover the topics of suicide. They provide articles on areas such as ‘When a friend dies by suicide,’ ‘When your child dies by suicide,’ ‘Explaining to a child that someone has died by suicide’ and more. These articles provide advice and guidance on things such as what to say, what may help, how to look after yourself, how to connect with others and more important topics. These articles are really useful if you are looking for support during these difficult times and they also link to resources that aum to help too. There are also resources on different books, podcasts etc to do with suicide bereavement that can be helpful. On top of that, there are resources for those working with bereaved families.
This is a great resource and charity for young people and families that have been bereaved by suicide and are looking for accessible support.