Helpline 0345 123 2304 [email protected]
Our Helpline is open every day (10 am - 4 pm and 7 -10 pm).
The line is always answered by a bereaved parent who is there to listen and support.
Dear Friends

L ife for us changed completely when our child, sibling or grandchild died.

And, now, in such a very short time we are facing new difficult and distressing challenges for ourselves, our family and friends from the impact of coronavirus.

We want you to know we are still here for you - whatever you are feeling right now.

We will continue to be here as much as we are able, providing our unique understanding and hope from those of us who have also experienced the sorrow of child or sibling loss . Many of our support and services will operate in just the same way as before but we are also embracing new ways to stay connected on our journey.

Thank you, too, for your support for our charity during this time. Our hope is simply that you and your loved ones stay well and safe. Please do keep connected with us.

Take care,

Carolyn

Chief Executive and all of us at The Compassionate Friends, UK
Staying Connected
Grief support, understanding and hope at home
National UK Helpline
Call 0345 123 2304

Open every day from 10 am - 4 pm, 7-10 pm .

We do understand and appreciate the range of emotions you may be experiencing - talking to another bereaved parent who understands can often help for that moment in time when it all feels too much.
If the line is busy please leave your name and contact number and one of our team will get back to you as soon as they can.

You really are not alone.
Connect with others online


* Loss of a Child
* Loss to Cancer or Illness
* Bereaved by suicide
* Bereaved by drugs or alcohol
* Loss of a baby, toddler, pre-schooler
* Childless parents group
* Bereaved dads



Find us on Facebook and Twitter , too
Moving Support Groups Online

We are unable to host any in-person support groups or weekend events for the time-being. But, where we can, we have been working hard with our volunteers to try to ensure that group support can continue for you.

Many of our fantastic group facilitators are moving support groups online - meaning you can access them from home and still experience that special connection with and understanding of other bereaved parents and siblings. Please don't be daunted by the technology as it is relatively straightforward to access an online group on a computer, tablet or smart phone.

Your group facilitator will contact you to invite you to any local group that is running online. Or call our Helpline to find out more.

We are planning some additional groups online - for specific types of loss, for bereaved siblings and also in areas where we do not have physical groups - so please watch this space.
Now - more than ever - Grief Companions have a vital role to play
This Scheme now has over 40 matches made between volunteer Grief Companions and newly bereaved parents. Many are already benefiting from this one-to-one contact particularly at this time of physical isolation. A regular phone call, video call, or email or text contact with a parent in the first few months of their loss can make such a difference.

Could you offer support as a volunteer Grief Companion, using your own experience and ways of coping to be alongside another bereaved parent?

Fun-draising from home!
Support The Compassionate Friends while keeping your social distance!

We've adapted our in-person services to protect against coronavirus; and continue to support bereaved parents and siblings online, over the telephone, by e-mail and through social media.  

However, we still need to raise funds to allow us to continue our unique peer support, including support for volunteers moving groups and events online and adding webchat to our Helpline services . As the economy suffers, as funders divert their donations, quite legitimately, to the direct fight against coronavirus and as challenge events get cancelled, the sources of funding on which The Compassionate Friends has relied in the past are disappearing, perhaps only temporarily, but maybe also forever. We, therefore, need to source funds from elsewhere.

So, can you help? Yes! We have produced a guide for you for fundraising from home, including lots of fun ways you can raise funds individually, as a family or with your colleagues.

Shop online and support TCF
Shop at AmazonSmile - it's exactly the same as shopping at Amazon with all their usual books and products - and supports TCF.

Sign up to easyfundraising.com and donate every time you shop at over 4000 online stores at no cost to you.
Just updated
Each leaflet is downloadable from our website - click on the cover image or link to view.
We are seeking additional volunteers for our Leaflet Writing and Editing Team

Find out more here. If you are interested in helping with this work complete our survey
TCF's Remembering Our Child Handbook is available to download and offers many alternative ideas for remembering at home, too.

Remembering at home

Many grieving people are struggling with not being able to go to the cemetery to care for their loved one's grave. Some parents in particular are finding this hard, and even more so if it is around the time of their child's anniversary or birthday.


With this in mind, here's an article with some ideas of substitute activities to do at home. We hope you will find it useful.

Our National Office is currently closed and our small staff team are all working from home. You can contact us at [email protected] or leave a message on our office phone on 0345 120 3785 and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Our Postal Library is offering a limited service during this time. Please contact Mary, our wonderful librarian, at [email protected] to find out more.

For bereavement support contact our Helpline on 0345 123 2304 [email protected] . Thank you - and please do keep in touch with us.
For more information on support and services for bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents see our website at the buttons below.