Children and Young People’s Bereavement Charity launches text service

The UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish, is
calling on the local community to spread the word about its new bereavement text
service.
In recognition of the fact that many young people prefer to write down their feelings
or worries while still chatting in real-time, the charity has shaped its services to
champion digital support which can be accessed in communities throughout the UK
including in our local community.
Designed to be grief support in your pocket and increase accessibility of support for
grieving young people aged 13 and older, the new text service is launching on
Monday the 15 th of September. It will be available over WhatsApp or SMS texting
between the hours of 3 to 8pm every weekday excluding bank holidays.
The text service will offer young people superfast access to a bereavement support
worker right from their phones and will allow children and young adults the chance to
message on the way back from school, at home or between messaging friends.
They can leave and restart the conversation and pick up where they left off without
having to explain their situation again from the start.
Letizia Perna, Deputy CEO and Director of Services at Winston’s Wish explains, “It is
our vision that no young person is left to grieve alone, and it’s our aim that our
support and access to that support is what young people need and want.
“Our services champion digital support and allow young people themselves to
access our bereavement advice. We also remain on hand to help parents, carers
and professionals to offer advice to them when they are supporting a grieving young
person.”
Winston’s Wish’s new text service is available over WhatsApp and SMS on

7418341800. It is open from 3pm-8pm, weekdays (excluding bank holidays).  
            The new service is designed for young people aged 13 to 25 to speak to the charity
            directly. This new service does not supersede the current services on offer, such as
            calling free on 08088 020 021, emailing ask@winstonswish.org or using the live chat
            on the website, rather this text service is designed to provide another avenue for
            grieving young people to reach out for grief support in a way they may prefer.

Adults supporting grieving young people or grieving children under the age of 13 can
still contact Winston’s Wish by calling free on 08088 020 021, emailing
ask@winstonswish.org or using the live chat on the website. 
Devastatingly, estimates suggest that every 20 minutes a young person is told their
parent has died and that figure doesn’t equate how many children or young adults
are coping with the death of a sibling, friend, relative or another significant individual.
Established in 1992, last year alone, Winston’s Wish supported and directly
impacted the lives of more than 95,000 children and young people and continues to
provide support and advice when a young person’s world is turned upside down by
bereavement.
Launching on the 15 th of September, the charity is asking the community to share the
news of its new text service with the young people, parents and professionals in their
local area or social group that this special service designed for bereaved young
people is available.
 Established in 1992, Winston’s Wish is the UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity,
supporting young people up to and including the age of 25 when their worlds have been turned upside
down by grief.
 The charity supports parents, carers and professionals supporting a grieving young person and offers
expert bereavement support and advice whoever a young person is grieving for, in whatever
circumstances.
 90% of the charity’s income comes from voluntary donations. To find out more about income generation
and donation please visit our website.
 Winston’s Wish produces the Grief in Common podcast, the first of its kind in the UK, which is
specifically for bereaved 13-25 year olds and hosted by young adults with living experience of
bereavement.
 Winston’s Wish can offer a range of expert voices on childhood bereavement or media-trained case
studies with living experience of grief and childhood bereavement. If you are covering a proactive or
reactive story, please reach out to mbale@winstonswish.org or call 07894 204 199.