Child Bereavement UK welcomed charities, organisations and partners from across Birmingham and the local area to the launch of its Birmingham service on 22 January, kindly hosted by Mills and Reeve Solicitors in Birmingham City Centre.

Child Bereavement UK helps families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies. The charity supports children and young people (up to the age of 25) when someone important to them has died or is not expected to live, and parents and the wider family when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying. Child Bereavement UK provides training to professionals in health and social care, education, and the voluntary and corporate sectors, equipping them to provide the best possible care to bereaved families.

Child Bereavement UK’s service in Birmingham has been generously funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. Based in West Heath, the service offers online, face-to-face and group support for bereaved individuals, couples and families. It also works in community centres and schools in the local area, as well as providing guidance and signposting. In addition, the charity works alongside existing support services in the region to help improve outcomes for bereaved families, providing training for professionals to ensure bereaved people are well supported wherever they first seek support.

Matthew Jackson, Bereavement Support Service Lead – Birmingham, thanked attendees for welcoming Child Bereavement UK to Birmingham and outlined the work of the charity and how referrals can be made. Nicola Coutu-Langmead, Head of Training and Research, then spoke about the charity’s training support for professionals who work with bereaved families.

Attendees also heard from Vicky Malone, a bereaved parent who was supported by Child Bereavement UK after her son died in 2016 aged two and a half. At the time there was no service in the Midlands and Vicky and her husband travelled to Child Bereavement UK’s office in Buckinghamshire for monthly support sessions. Vicky said:

When I spoke to Child Bereavement UK, I started to feel like a tiny glimmer of light lay ahead. Other people had experienced this. We weren’t alone, our feelings were normal and it was possible to rebuild our lives.

Nicola Gilham, Head of Charity for Child Bereavement UK, thanked everyone for attending and for their support for the new service. Nicola said: 

“Collectively we can help families in the Birmingham area to face their forever-changed lives with hope again for the future. We’re very much looking forward to our future cooperation, improving outcomes for bereaved families and rebuilding lives together.”

Adam Williams, a Partner with hosts Mills and Reeve who specialises in philanthropy and charity law said:

“It’s impossible to imagine the grief of a parent who has lost a child. From the speakers and video presentations at Child Bereavement UK’s Birmingham launch event, however, it was clear that with the right help and support, people can rebuild their lives and, in some cases, use their experience to help others. It was a real privilege to host the event and welcome the charity to Birmingham.”