Children’s Grief Awareness Week 2025
17 - 23rd November 2025
We were honoured to be part of the Children’s Grief Awareness Week Steering Group again this year, alongside other incredible charities working to make sure no bereaved child feels alone in their grief.
This year’s theme of ‘Sharing Stories, Strengthening Hope’ was all about the power of connection. Grief can be lonely- especially for children and young people who might not know anyone else who’s been through something similar.
Sharing stories helps to remind them that they’re not the only one. It opens up conversations that can bring comfort, understanding, and a sense of hope for the future.
At Sibling Support, we know that a bereavement doesn’t define who you are, but it can shape your story and your strength. Hope can be found in those small moments - like hearing someone else say, “me too.”
“Sharing Stories, Strengthening Hope”
This week, we shared a special video bringing together adults who were bereaved as children, through the Children’s Grief Awareness Week steering group, to share their own stories of grief and how ‘hope’ helped to shape their grief journey.
““If I’m able to do this, then I promise that you will be able to as well. You’ll have different ways of going about finding meaning within your grief, and dealing with it - but you will get there.””
Maddie’s Story
We were also honoured to share Maddie’s story on our website. Maddie answered a series of questions about her brother Jacques, and how hope has woven itself into her grief in different ways over the years:
“To children going through grief, I would say your grief is real and it matters. It's okay to feel confused, angry, alone, or any other emotion.
There is no handbook on how you should be feeling - every emotion is valid. It's also okay to find your own way of coping with your grief. Whether that's writing, talking, or simply giving yourself some space to think”
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“You don't have to rush through grief or protect everyone around you from it. That's something in hindsight that I felt I did - I didn't open up as much as I maybe wanted to because I was trying to protect others.
The pain won't disappear, but it will change, and you will find ways to carry your loved one with you. For me, that's through memories and stories so that even though my new family I've created will never have met my brother, they'll always know who he was and feel like if they know him.”
“That's what hope looks like to me - living a life full of meaning while carrying your loved one alongside you.”
You can read her full story, and watch Maddie’s video here
Help Shape Better Support for Bereaved Pupils
As part of this year’s Children’s Grief Awareness Week, the Childhood Bereavement Network has launched an important survey exploring how bereavement-related absences are recorded and understood in schools and education settings.
We’re asking anyone who works in education or bereavement support - as well as bereaved young people aged 16+ and parents or carers - to take a few minutes to share their experiences.
Your insights will help identify current challenges and shape better support for grieving pupils and students across the country.
We ask for the survey to be completed by 12 December 2025:
Thank you so much to everybody who took part in this year’s Children’s Grief Awareness Week.
If you know a child who needs support after a bereavement, the Childhood Bereavement Network website is a helpful starting point, offering information, guidance, and details of services available in your area:
The Children's Grief Awareness Week Steering Group:
Thank you so much for all of your continued support.