Case study: Syncona supports Child Bereavement UK, a charity which supports children when a parent, or someone else important to them, has died, and supports parents who have experienced the death of their baby or child.
We are the largest, specialist child bereavement charity, with services and projects in more than 20 locations across the UK, helping more than 1,000 families each year.
We are the leading provider of child bereavement training, training around 10,000 professionals each year.
We are the only child bereavement charity accredited by the NHS England Information Standard. Our support information is read by more than 60,000 people online each year and our helpline receives more than 600 calls and emails each month.
Syncona helps us achieve our vision
- Syncona has been Child Bereavement UK’s single largest unrestricted supporter
- Syncona’s commitment since 2014 has given us the confidence to invest to grow. Since first supporting Child Bereavement UK.
- We have launched new services in Cheshire, East London and Glasgow. Services in Cumbria, West London and Milton Keynes have more than doubled in size.
- Unrestricted funding given by Syncona allows us to play a key role in responding to emergencies.
With support from Syncona, the charity has been able to achieve the following:
- The start of new training opportunities, which aim to reach a range of needs, including: Trans Awareness Training; Vicarious Trauma Training; Access to Assist training and refugee support training.
- Its national service The Helpline has evolved since COVID-19 and receives over 8000 requests for support a year.
- A successful collaboration with a Child Death Review Hub in London, providing support for families going through the child death review process.
- Launch of a new national online group for 18-25 year olds offering them support.
Testimonials – The impact of our support when a child dies
Dawn received support with her husband, Mark, following the death of their four-year-old son, Henry, from cancer in 2013.“After Henry died, life was absolutely horrific. All I ever wanted was to be a mummy and my world had gone. We’ve had the most amazing support; if it wasn’t for Child Bereavement UK, I don’t think I would be here today. They saved my life because they made me realise I have the strength and courage to carry on every day. The couples counselling with Mark saved our marriage.
"We’ve had the most amazing support; if it wasn’t for Child Bereavement UK, I don’t think I would be here today."
I never ever thought that Mark would go to counselling. How very wrong was I. Don’t judge, give it a try and you never know, it could save your life just like it saved mine, and saved our marriage.”