Supporting bereaved parents and their families

For bereavement support call our Helpline on: 0345 123 2304

(Open 10 am - 4 pm, 7 - 10 pm every day of the year)

Email: helpline@tcf.org.uk

One to One Peer support for newly bereaved parents
Grieving for a child can be a lonely path. The whole philosophy behind The Compassionate Friends (TCF) is putting bereaved parents in touch with each other for peer-to-peer support.

A grief companion is another bereaved parent volunteer who will provide one-to-one contact for parents who are in their first or second year of bereavement and who have lost a child from 1 month old up to an adult child. Grief companion support is provided for up to 12 months. Your grief companion will be at least 3 years bereaved.

Our grief companions will offer you informal support and friendship. They are not counsellors and nor are they formally trained, but they will offer you an opportunity to share your grief and experiences. They will 'walk alongside' you and be a listening ear and an understanding friend.

Please be aware that grief companions can be from anywhere in the UK, rather than someone who is local to you. Therefore the contact you have with your grief companion may be by phone, email or online media - whatever suits you both.

How do I apply?
All requests for a grief companion need to go through our Helpline team. They will be able to advise you about the different avenues of support available to you from TCF, both nationally and locally, depending on your circumstances and the nature of your loss. Generally a grief companion will be offered if there is no other support local to you.