Grief usually comes along, like a tsunami, crashing to the shore and destroying everything in it’s path. Even if we have been waiting on the waves to arrive, the storm cannot be tamed or braced.. no matter how hard we try. And if we haven’t been waiting on the storm, well how can we even fathom how to survive or what comes next. I wanted to write a letter of some of the things I wish I knew in the early days of my grief journey: I wish I knew that there is no right or wrong way to grieve. That there is no time line and that every second minute, hour and day would bring about new thoughts and f ..read more

And just like that, it’s June again. For some, it may be your very first without your special person. For others, well.. we’ve been here before. In the weeks leading up to this day, the slow reminders start to creep in. The adverts on tv, the card aisle in the super market, even the ‘Eugh, I don’t know what to get my dad this Father’s Day!’, remarks begin. And while you share an understanding of the stress of gift giving… you really really, wish it could be you. To all those wishing it were you, I’m sorry. I’m sorry you have to miss this person so much that it hurts. I’m sorry you have to scro ..read more

The beginning of a new year, you either love it or hate it. Entering a new year can be especially hard when grieving the loss of a loved one. Whether that be leaving behind the year that you lost them in, or just entering a whole other year without them again. Just like Christmas, entering a new year is filled with joy, love, and celebrations galore. But, how could you ever view it that way when your most favourite person isn’t physically coming with you. It’s important to know that it’s ok if you don’t like New Years and the month of January because of this. It’s equally ok to love New Years ..read more

Today will be a very emotional and difficult day in the UK and across many parts of the world for those mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth. We wanted to share with you some ways in which you could support yourself today and the days ahead. Accept whatever way you are feeling as it is a normal response to loss - it is important to give time and space to your feelings. Talk about your thoughts and feelings with others - it is important not to bottle up how you are feeling. There will be many children and young people who can share those feelings with you. Maybe you could chat to a friend ..read more

Everyday should be mental health day, but it’s important we put a day aside to acknowledge our mental health as young people and open up the conversations to raise awareness across the UK and further afield. Mental health must be recognised and accepted the way our physical health needs are. Everybody experiences mental health and therefore we must take care of it. So, imagine navigating all these hormones, changes, stresses of educations, friendships, relationships, work and then throw a bereavement on top of that.. I mean how are you expected to cope?! As a bereaved young person, I want to s ..read more

Today will be a very emotional and difficult day in the UK and across many parts of the world for those mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth. We wanted to share with you some ways in which you could support yourself today and the days ahead. Accept whatever way you are feeling as it is a normal response to loss - it is important to give time and space to your feelings. Talk about your thoughts and feelings with others - it is important not to bottle up how you are feeling. There will be many children and young people who can share those feelings with you. Maybe you could chat to a friend ..read more

Hey there- to those grieving, today is very much for you. For those who have lived and are living through the loss of someone so special. For those who know a loss so big that it’s shaken and re-arranged their whole world in more ways than one- we see you and we stand with you.  But, today is also for those who haven’t walked the grief path just yet. It’s true when they say that you cannot understand grief until you’ve experienced it - and even then grief is as individual as a snowflake.. even for two people living the loss of the same loved one. However, grief should be everyone’s busine ..read more

My name is Ashleigh, I am 25 years old and I’ve just started working in my first full time job after finishing university. I got involved with Hope Again after my Dad died in 2016 from cancer. He died 23 days before my 19th birthday after nearly 6 years of living with cancer. I may be biased but he really was the ‘Best Dad in the World’!! I joined this grief club without ever wanting to and I’m sure many of you feel the same. Please see below my letter to my Dad on this upcoming Father’s Day.. wherever he may be.  Dear Daddy, How will you be spending Father’s Day? I wish I knew. I wish yo ..read more

Cruse Bereavement Support hold the privilege of having 4,000 volunteers across England, Wales and NI. In 2021, our volunteers supported over 27,000 individuals on their grief journey at a time when they needed it most.  To be quite frank, our support services would not operate without the wonderful time and dedication offered by our volunteers. Those who put countless hours into their passion of caring for others at the most difficult time in their lives- the loss of their special loved one.  You can volunteer with your local branch, through our helpline or with our fantastic fundrai ..read more

Losing someone we love can be one of the hardest things anyone will ever experience but it is something we all go through at one point in our lives. However when you’re young ,it can be even harder to understand all that is going on when feeling these losses. In the simplest terms, grief means we experience the loss of someone we love, that they are no longer physically with us and in turn we feel so many different emotions that can be really hard to cope with. But, what does grief actually look like for young people? Grief affects us all in many different ways. There is no one set process in ..read more