Winston’s Wish offers crucial help and advice every year to thousands of children and young people, from pre-school to the age of twenty-five, after the death of someone important to them.

The charity was set up in Gloucestershire in 1992 after founder and clinical psychologist Julie Stokes visited the USA and Canada on a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship, and was inspired by the services she saw there.

Unfortunately, the need for its services is growing. Last year Winston’s Wish supported just shy of 23,000 children and young people and hopes to increase this number significantly next year. 

‘The sad truth is that the services we offer are really needed, but so many children and young people today are facing their grief alone. With the help of partners like Endsleigh and Ecclesiastical we can provide help, support and guidance to more families so that young people can face their future with hope.

‘Bereavement at a young age in general is much more common than people often think. Every day, a hundred new children and young people are bereaved of a parent or sibling. Overall it is something that around one in thirty of us will experience, or on average one person in every school classroom.’

Louisa Hancox, Philanthropy and Corporate Partnership Manager at Winston’s Wish. 

In addition to one-to-one and group support with bereavement Support Workers, Winston’s Wish also has lots of information and guidance on their website and social channels, a freephone helpline and instant messenger service. They run projects in schools and provide lots of free training to teachers and other professionals. 

‘Research shows that it’s really important to provide help for children – the knock-on effects in youngsters who haven’t had help and who struggle with their grief when they need it can be really serious. No two people will grieve in exactly the same way, so don’t offer a one-size-fits-all service.’

The Closer to you grant, provided by Endsleigh Insurance, will help to fund the charity’s helpline for two weeks.

‘It’s a wonderful donation and we’re very grateful to both Endsleigh and Ecclesiastical. Charities have really struggled against the backdrop of the increase in cost of living, and we really rely on support like this. I can’t thank them enough.’

Louisa Hancox, Philanthropy and Corporate Partnership Manager at Winston’s Wish.