Grief Support

We recognise the varied ways that grieving children continue a bond with the person who has died.

Jenni Thomas

Bereavement Support

The ALMT offers support to families with children who are coping with grief when someone important in their lives has suddenly and unexpectedly died or where a parent is dying. Support is provided by an experienced team led by Jenni Thomas who was awarded the OBE for her pioneering bereavement work in Britain.

The team focuses on the needs of families with children and young people facing loss and grief. The involvement of the parents or prime carer is essential.
 

Grief is a normal reaction to loss and death.  Understanding behaviour can help at a deeply anxious and stressful time.  Grief resembles fear and feelings of anxiety and loss of control can make life particularly difficult to manage.  Our support will focus on helping families with their experiences and feelings.

About Jenni Thomas

Jenni has been listening to and learning from grieving parents and children over four decades. She founded the national Child Bereavement Charity (now known as Child Bereavement UK) in 1994, was Chief Executive and then President until 2009. In 2002 she was awarded the OBE in recognition of her work with the charity and the NHS. Jenni trained as a counsellor whilst working on the Special Care Baby Unit in the NHS. She has worked with the Chief Medical Officer and Department of Health and is a member of the Royal College of Nursing.

 

Through the NHS and the Child Bereavement Charity she has devised and run pioneering training programmes for professional clinicians, caregivers and volunteers who are in contact with grieving families. Jenni has written publications for professionals and families in this field and received an honorary doctorate from Buckinghamshire New University in 2007 for her contribution to bereavement education

Available Resources

It is natural to struggle with grief and there is no right way to respond to grief and loss. Over the years, Jenni Thomas has created a library of resources to help families including workbooks, videos and a video about ‘The Danger Age’ (highlighting the danger of drowning for children aged 2-4years old).  The podcast series ‘Jenni Thomas talks about Child Bereavement’ is intended to help and guide anyone who is faced with a situation whether they are bereaved, or in a supportive role to someone who is grieving, a family member, friend or in a professional capacity

Latest News

Latest Projects

Featured

Miracles supports children and their families living in poverty, referred to the project by hospitals and hospices. All are facing crises, many with children suffering serious illness.

Early Childhood Development of vulnerable children in remote areas of South Africa by working in partnership with communities.

Letterbox Parcels for children in care delivered in person by a Coordinator to support and improve their literacy and numeracy.

Working in four rural villages in Ntcheu District, Malawi, Future4All seeks to provide sustainable socio-economic empowerment, provision of secondary school scholarships and improvement of Early Child Development services for 200 households affected by HIV & AIDS.

The Butterfly Tree, working with the Ministry of Health in Zambia, will distribute mosquito nets with insecticidal coating to school children and teachers in rural areas of the Kazungula District, where malaria is prevalent

Carers Worldwide recognises the role of carers and transforms the lives of carers, their families and their communities.

The Magpie Project believes all children have the right to a secure, safe place to play, healthy food, engaged, informed parents, and access to support, no matter what their family circumstances.

Słowianką Leisure Centre runs sports facilities for the people of Gorzow

Downside Fisher Youth Club (DFYC) promotes the personal, social and educational development of young people.

Miracles supports children and their families living in poverty by helping them through crises such as serious illness.

Featured

Miracles supports children and their families living in poverty, referred to the project by hospitals and hospices. All are facing crises, many with children suffering serious illness.

Early Childhood Development of vulnerable children in remote areas of South Africa by working in partnership with communities.

Letterbox Parcels for children in care delivered in person by a Coordinator to support and improve their literacy and numeracy.

Working in four rural villages in Ntcheu District, Malawi, Future4All seeks to provide sustainable socio-economic empowerment, provision of secondary school scholarships and improvement of Early Child Development services for 200 households affected by HIV & AIDS.

The Butterfly Tree, working with the Ministry of Health in Zambia, will distribute mosquito nets with insecticidal coating to school children and teachers in rural areas of the Kazungula District, where malaria is prevalent

Carers Worldwide recognises the role of carers and transforms the lives of carers, their families and their communities.

The Magpie Project believes all children have the right to a secure, safe place to play, healthy food, engaged, informed parents, and access to support, no matter what their family circumstances.

Słowianką Leisure Centre runs sports facilities for the people of Gorzow

Downside Fisher Youth Club (DFYC) promotes the personal, social and educational development of young people.