posted by Alita Spink, Schools and Learning Support Officer, Schools and Learning
News and inspiration from Child Bereavement UK In this issue: Our bereaved young people give Rio Ferdinand tips on ‘Being Mum and Dad’
Bereaved young people supported by Child Bereavement UK gave Rio Ferdinand some tips on how to talk to his children about the death of their mum. Rio’s wife, Rebecca, and mum to Lorenz, 10, Tate, 8, and Tia, 5, died in 2015.
As part of filming for his BBC1 documentary, Being Mum and Dad, Rio visited our offices in Buckinghamshire to attend a Young People’s Advisory Group session. Our young people, aged between 11-25, talked to him about their experiences around the death of their parent and what had helped them.
Tips from the young people included explaining to Rio how ‘it’s okay to cry’, that ‘it’s important to talk about the person who has died’ and that it’s ‘okay to laugh and have fun’. They also told him that ‘cars are good conversation venues’. Click to watch the trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HydwFxzaU9o
Supporters get creative for first ever #MakeforMum
Supporters across the country have been busy raising funds and awareness around Mother’s 
Day this month, as part of our first Make for Mum campaign. As well as sharing photographs and memories across social media, supporters have held parties and run cake stalls and craft events in aid of Child Bereavement UK.
Our Patron Gary Barlow and his Mum Marj have lent their support to the campaign too. One tweet from Gary about the campaign reached 4.33 million Twitter followers!
Thousands of visitors plant snowdrops across the country
In February and March, Snowdrop walks took place in County Durham, Cumbria, Cheshire, Lincolnshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, attracting nearly 2,000 visitors and raising more than £8,000 for the charity.
These special Child Bereavement UK events help to raise awareness of our work and provide an opportunity for families to plant snowdrops in memory of someone special who has died.
We would love your support at the following events. Click to find our more:
Let’s Rock Festivals, at locations across the country, May – July 2017
Ride 100, Surrey – 30 July 2017
Royal Parks Half Marathon, London – 8 October 2017
Only 1 in 10 British adults bereaved as a child said their school was very supportive at the time of their bereavement*
Schools have an important role to play in improving outcomes for bereaved children and young people. Our recent conference for schools in Scotland was attended by a broad range of education professionals, from teachers and pastoral care supporters to classroom assistants and educational psychologists. Delegates from Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles also dialled in via web conference, joining discussions on topics including ‘The power of stories’ and ‘Grief in the digital age’.
Child Bereavement UK is recognised as the UK’s leading provider of training for professionals working with bereaved families across the UK. Click here to find out more.
