Children’s Bereavement Charity Winston’s Wish Supported 6,000 Children During Festive Season

The UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity reveals it supported more
than 6,000 children in December alone and is aware that bereaved children need support
throughout the year.
During the festive season, the charity launched its appeal campaign entitled ‘Colour Their
Christmas’ which highlighted the need for children whose lives often feel drained of colour
and vibrancy following a bereavement to receive support to help them to go on to lead full
and flourishing lives.
Thanks to funding from this campaign, Winston’s Wish also hosted special Christmas parties
for bereaved children in locations across the UK which brought together nearly 150 children
and their families who had experienced a bereavement.
Christmas can be an incredibly difficult time of year for young people coping with bereavement, and the generosity of donors to the charity’s Colour Their Christmas campaign ensured that these vital support services could continue to run throughout the festive season, into the New Year and throughout 2025.

Winston’s Wish ambassador and BBC Race Across the World winner Alfie Watts was also in attendance at one of the parties and commented, “It was an amazing experience to attend
the Christmas party; it is always an empowering feeling when you are with a group of people
who have shared life experiences and that was especially true at the party.

“When you are grieving, you can easily feel like you are the only one feeling the way you do,
it can be quite confusing and make you feel isolated so to come together with so many who
know what it’s like to have all the emotions is special.”

Each year Winston’s Wish supports and impacts the lives of more than 80,000 grieving
children and young people when their lives are turned upside down by bereavement.
The charity supports grieving young people up to the age of 25, offering a range of services
designed to support children 12 and younger to explore grief through arts and play such as
creative therapy. The charity also provides special support and content designed for 13–25-
year-olds on the charity’s Talk Grief website which includes real life stories and articles about
what it’s like to grow up with grief.
Paul Parson, Head of Clinical at Winston’s Wish comments, “It is always bittersweet when
we come to review how many young people received our support at such a poignant time as
Christmas because although we’re pleased that we can be on hand to readily support these
grieving children, it also reminds us just how many need our support.

“We are aware that at certain times of the year awareness runs high of the situation many
bereaved young people face but our on-demand services are open throughout the year and
we’re providing that expert support every month.
“Some young people this year will face the first anniversary of their loved one’s death, a
special anniversary, going to university or secondary school, getting their first job or coping
with any manner of new life experiences that they may need support to navigate and we’re
keen to be there for these young people.
“That is why we have been so encouraged by the success of our ‘Colour Their Christmas’
campaign because it shows just how many people are aware of the need for donations and
continual support because life can feel grey for a bereaved young person at any point in the
year.”
Estimates suggest that, devastatingly, each day, more than 100 children in the UK are
bereaved of a parent and that figure doesn’t equate how many young people are coping with
the death of a sibling, grandparent, friend, or another significant individual in their lives. 
Winston’s Wish is keen to thank its army of supporters who donated to the charity’s
campaign. Thanks to the kind generosity of individuals, families and organisations
throughout the UK an amazing £44,000 was raised including matched donations which helps
to ensure that children and young people as well as the adults around them from parents to
education professionals are able to receive the support they need.
Winston’s Wish is keen to reassure bereaved young people and their families that they are
welcome to chat online, email or call for free to speak to a bereavement support worker by
calling 08088 020 021, emailing ask@winstonswish.org or using the live chat at
winstonswish.org.