Caring for bereaved children
Supporting youngsters and their families through one of the toughest times of their lives
How we can help
OWLS - Overcoming Worry, Loss and Sadness - supports children aged 4 to 11 and their families living in the Leeds area.
It can help in a number of ways, including offering practical and emotional support, direct 1-2-1 therapy, schools workshops and peer activity days where affected children and their families can get together to share experiences and support each other.
OWLS
No family has to face loss alone.
The OWLS (Overcoming Worry, Loss and Sadness) Bereavement Service offers care, understanding, and specialist support for children and families who have experienced the death of a loved one. Through one-to-one support, group activities, and safe spaces to share feelings, OWLS helps children find comfort, build resilience, and know that they are not alone in their grief.
We are proud to now run the service in partnership with Child Bereavement UK (CBUK), working together to provide the very best support for families when they need it most.
If you’d like to reach out, please contact us at info@janetomlinsonappeal.org. You’ll also find resources and guidance here on our website and https://www.childbereavementuk.org/ , which we hope will offer reassurance and support at any stage of your journey.
Resources
There is no right or wrong way to grieve and different children will react in different ways. The sections below offer some general information and advice that may be helpful in supporting a bereaved child.
Dealing with the death of a loved one
Bereaved children will experience a range of emotions – from anxiety to anger and sadness to insecurity. How they react is likely to be influenced by the relationship they had to the person who has died.
Coping with grief
Grief – that deep feeling of loss, sorrow, despair, abandonment and more besides – hits us all in some way when a loved one dies.
Support for teachers
Teachers and school staff, as familiar and trusted adults, can play an enormously important role in supporting a bereaved child.
Worried about a child?
Are you concerned that a child is not coping well? Feel you could use support to cope with a bereavement? Find out how to refer a child to our OWLS bereavement service.
How to support OWLS
Inspired to support our work? You can make a one-off donation or set up a monthly direct debit. You could take part in an event and raise sponsorship, stage a table-top or bake sale or a sweepstake in your workplace.
Why not nominate us for a grant, or donate materials such as art supplies. Own or manage a venue? You could help with the staging of one of our activity days.
You can also help by donating prizes for raffles or tombolas, or even volunteer your time to help support our children on the activity days.
Other ways to get involved
There are many ways that you can support our OWLS bereavement service; from donating arts and crafts materials for memory boxes to offering space for therapy sessions to volunteering at our activity days or simply by donating.
What your donation could provide
Your donation will continue our work in helping children to be happier and healthier. However much you choose to donate, learn about the difference it could make to the OWLS bereavement service.
- £16 Could provide crafts materials for a memory box for a bereaved child
- £50 Could pay for a bereaved brother and sister to attend an activity day
- £240 Could pay for a bereavement counsellor for one child