Project information
Grief Relief Kits
We have proven success with our innovative grief resources, with the Grief Encounter Workbook being the best used grief support resource in the UK. We cannot reach enough grieving children and young people who could benefit from specialist resources.
It will be ongoing
Charity information: Grief Encounter Project

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Need
Need
There are over 20,000 bereaved children and young people under 16 currently in the UK, who will experience the death of a parent or sibling. These children will experience emotional and psychological damage due to the trauma of loss (Gilbert, 2015).Yet, as a society we often shut these children down causing their pain to be internalised and leaving them suffering without the tools to express or process their grief.
Solution
Using the specialist creative resources in the Grief Relief Kits, which are based on work with bereaved families, research and grief experiences, both professionals and friends and family can encourage conversations about death with young people.The kit contains age-appropriate tools, such as a workbook, Mr Good Grief teddy, books about death, memory making sand bottle kits and a Forever Journal to gather and build memories. Innovative new products are continually developed and added.
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Aims
Aim 1
To increase our reach to bereaved children.
Activities
» Send out Grief Relief Kits to 500 bereaved children, their families and professionals connected to grieving children.
500 packs sent out to bereaved children
Aim 2
To provide tools to facilitate the grieving process.
Activities
» Continue to improve our existing contents and to create new products.
The improved contents of the Grief Relief Kit
Aim 3
To empower others to help grieving families.
Activities
» Build relationships with those receiving the packs to gain feedback regarding their usefulness and application.
500 grief relief kits sent out and feedback received as to the usefulness
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Impact
Impact
There will be more readily available support available to bereaved children, young people and their families, both from Grief Encounter themselves and for others nationwide. Success will be demonstrated not only by the requests for the kits, but also the feedback once received.
Risk
The Grief Relief Kits not being taken up or used, but they already have a proven record with grieving children and young people in the UK. The cost of postage is high; developing a small robust box will ensure costs are kept realistic.
Reporting
The outcomes of the Grief Relief Kits sales will appear in our Annual Review. In addition, for those that fund this project, there would be a chance to discuss marking the boxes with dedications to the donors.The donors will receive a report on the usefulness of the kits in a newsletter (3 p.a.)
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Budget
Budget - Project Cost: £30,000
Loading graph....Amount Heading Description £5,000 Grief Encounter Books Workbooks to encourage conversations about death £10,000 Other products Including:Sand kits, Mr Good Griefs, books, Forever Journal,Boxes, Seed kits. £6,000 Postage Sending kits out £9,000 Management Creative designs, packing boxes, sending boxes. -
Background
Location
The Grief Relief Kits will be stored and sent out from the Grief Encounter Office in London. The kits can be sent to any location in the UK (or internationally on request).
Beneficiaries
Bereaved children and young people and the people involved with them in their own communities.
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Why Us?
Why Us?
Grief Encounter is the leading UK charity in terms of service provision. The whole team contributes their professional and personal experiences of being with bereaved children into the product development. Moreover, the kits are developed in response to client feedback, and initially client led.
Read more about the Charity running this project.
People
Dr Shelley Gilbert MBE
Founder and CEO
Stacey Hart
Clinical Programme Leader
Brenna Baker
Programme Coordinator
Michele Pollard
Senior Clinical Practitioner

GE have proven to be a lifeline. They made the boys realise what they were feeling was 'normal'. There is light at the end of this very bleak tunnel.