Grief Encounter

What Grief Encounter does

Grief Encounter is a UK registered charity (No. 1175837), founded in 2004 by Dr. Shelley Gilbert MBE, that delivers free therapeutic bereavement support to children and young people aged 0–25 and their families. Its service portfolio centres on the national freephone grieftalk helpline, one-to-one and group counselling, therapeutic workshops, fun days and residential camps, and a schools training programme. Educational resources include the interactive Grief Book and a comprehensive Grief Guides library. The charity operates from two UK therapy centres — a headquarters in London (Crystal House, NW7 4ST) and a regional office in Bristol (Ham Green House, BS20 0HH) trading as Grief Encounter South West — and complements in-person delivery with e-counselling, online grief groups and telephone check-in services.

The charity's clinical methodology is differentiated by Dr. Gilbert's proprietary 'Upward Spiral of Grief' model, a registered non-linear therapeutic framework that contrasts with traditional stage-based grief models. All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries; the charity receives no government funding and is financed entirely through voluntary donations, corporate partnerships (e.g., Barclays 100x100 COVID Relief Fund £100,000, Feather & Down, Airbus), fundraising events (golf days, challenges, runs), and an affiliate revenue stream via the Legacy Hub partnership. Distribution combines direct-to-family channels (helpline, website referral, therapy centres) with community-led engagement through schools, healthcare referrals, celebrity ambassadors (Katherine Jenkins OBE, Martin Lewis OBE) and the annual Children's Grief Awareness Week, founded in 2015 in association with the Children's Bereavement Network.

Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees chaired by Alan Bloom, with executive leadership under CEO Suzanne Turner-Jones following Dr. Gilbert's 2024 transition to Lifetime President. The organisation operates at a small scale (11–50 employees) with no disclosed financials, and its scale signal includes a 97% uplift in helpline demand since March 2020 and partnerships spanning media (ITV Good Morning Britain's 1 Million Minutes), corporate donors and legal services (Irwin Mitchell).

Name

Grief Encounter

Legal name

Grief Encounter

Website

https://www.griefencounter.org.uk/south-west/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Grief Encounter is a UK registered charity providing free bereavement counselling, therapy, and education to bereaved children and young people aged 0–25 and their families via a national helpline, therapy centres in London and Bristol, and online services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Bereavement Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK), Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI)

Keywords

• Bereavement support services
• Children grief counselling
• Youth bereavement charity
• Therapeutic support programmes
• Childhood grief therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Voluntary Donations: As a charity that receives no government funding, Grief Encounter relies solely on voluntary donations from individuals to fund their services.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporations such as Barclays COVID Relief Fund (£100,000), Feather & Down, and others for funding and awareness.
3. Fundraising Events: Various fundraising events including golf days, challenge events, runs, and community fundraising activities. Golf days have raised £30,000 in single events.
4. Legacy Hub Subscription: Partnership with Legacy Hub where every subscription made through Grief Encounter supports the charity directly, creating a revenue stream from memorial planning services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Grief Encounter provides free bereavement counselling, therapy and emotional support to children and young people aged 0-25 who have experienced the death of someone close, along with support for their parents and carers. Its services include a national freephone helpline (grieftalk), one-to-one counselling, therapeutic workshops, group sessions, fun days, residential camps, and a children's choir, delivered through London and Bristol therapy centres plus online channels. The charity also produces grief guides and delivers training to schools and educational professionals.

Product overview

Grief Encounter is a UK-based children's bereavement charity offering a unified portfolio of therapeutic support services centered around its grieftalk national helpline. The core offering combines direct client services (one-to-one counselling, group counselling, therapeutic workshops, fun days, and residential camps) with educational resources including the Grief Book, Grief Guides library, and schools training programme. Supplementary services include a children's choir for expressive therapy, and partnership resources such as Legacy Hub for document organization. All services are provided free to bereaved children, young people, and families, with remote delivery options including phone, web chat, email, and video platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Children's Grief Awareness Week (CGAW): An annual initiative founded by Grief Encounter in association with the Children's Bereavement Network, designed to raise awareness of bereaved children and young people in the UK.

Products and services

• grieftalk Helpline Free national freephone helpline (0808 802 0111) providing immediate bereavement support to bereaved children, young people and families, accessible by phone, web chat and email, operating weekdays.
• One-to-One Counselling Individual therapeutic counselling sessions for bereaved children and young people up to 25 years old, delivered by qualified professionals.
• Group Counselling Therapeutic group sessions connecting bereaved young people with peers and professional counsellors to reduce isolation and share experiences.
• Therapeutic Workshops Structured therapeutic workshops providing age-appropriate grief support and education for children and young people.
• Fun Days and Residential Camps Recreational therapeutic activities including fun days out and residential camps offering peer support and memorable experiences for grieving families.
• Children's Choir Expressive outlet through singing for bereaved children, providing therapeutic benefits and opportunities for peer connection.
• Online Support Services Remote bereavement support including e-counselling, online grief groups and telephone check-in services delivered across the UK.
• Parental and Carer Support Support services including grief guides and counselling for parents and carers who are also grieving while supporting their children.
• Schools Training Programme Bereavement training and resources for schools and educational providers, including lesson plans and grief workbooks to support bereaved students.
• Grief Book Interactive activity book helping children explore memories, emotions and challenges following a bereavement, serving as a safe container to store thoughts and feelings.
• Grief Guides Comprehensive library of guides covering topics including funeral planning, emotional responses, LGBTQ+ support, memory-making, self-care and navigating special days.
• Legacy Hub Partnership Secure platform partnered with Grief Encounter for families to organize files, wishes, financial information, voice/video messages and photographs before and after bereavement, with proceeds supporting the charity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% uplift in helpline calls during COVID-19 pandemic
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Feather & DownflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2024Partnership with Feather & Down, the UK's Number 1 Sleep Brand, during Children's Grief Awareness Week to raise awareness of the support available to help those grieving to find comfort and rest. The partnership focuses on highlighting the connection between grief, sleep, and wellbeing.
• Irwin MitchellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrief Encounter partnered with Irwin Mitchell to provide free legal expertise as well as a dedicated Support and Rehabilitation co-ordinator who ensures families receive the right psychological and financial support.
• Legacy HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Legacy Hub to provide a supportive tool for families both before and after bereavement. Every subscription made through Grief Encounter supports the charity directly. Legacy Hub offers secure storage for documents, voice/video messages, photographs, and funeral wishes.
• ITV Good Morning BritainflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerContinued partnership with ITV Good Morning Britain's 1 Million Minutes campaign, now in its eighth year. The initiative asks viewers to pledge time rather than money to help end loneliness and isolation for bereaved families. Over 522 million minutes of time have been donated since 2016.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Place2Be: UK children's mental health charity providing counselling and emotional support in schools. Comparable to Grief Encounter's schools training programme and the founder's early-career placement at Place2Be; serves overlapping student/parent segments with broader mental-health focus.
• YoungMinds: UK charity focused on children and young people's mental health, including bereavement-related distress. Comparable as a children/young-person mental-health peer with overlapping beneficiary audience and policy/awareness remit, though broader than grief alone.
• Hope Support Services: UK charity supporting young people aged 11-25 when a close family member is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Comparable niche peer addressing bereavement and pre-bereavement for children and young people facing family illness.
• Together for Short Lives: UK charity for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. Comparable as a children's serious-illness and bereavement support peer, with overlapping themes around end-of-life, family support, and hospice-adjacent bereavement services.

Direct peers

• Winston's Wish: UK charity providing specialist bereavement support for children, young people, and their families. Closest direct peer to Grief Encounter, with overlapping service portfolio including one-to-one support, helpline, and resources for bereaved children.
• Child Bereavement UK: UK charity offering bereavement support for children, young people, and adults when a child or adult they care about has died. Direct competitor in the children's bereavement space with national helpline, face-to-face support, and training services similar to Grief Encounter.

Broad incumbents

• Samaritans: Large UK charity providing 24/7 emotional support for anyone in distress, including bereaved young people. Broad incumbent whose crisis-line scale, funding base, and round-the-clock availability dwarf Grief Encounter's helpline footprint.
• Cruse Bereavement Support: The UK's largest bereavement charity, serving all ages including children and young people. A broader incumbent that overlaps with Grief Encounter on bereavement services for young people but operates across the full age spectrum with a wider national footprint.
• Childline: NSPCC-run 24/7 helpline and online service for children and young people in the UK. Operates as a broad incumbent in children's crisis support, including bereavement as one of many issues addressed, with funding scale and round-the-clock availability Grief Encounter does not match.

Others

• Macmillan Cancer Support: Large UK cancer charity with a bereavement support programme for families affected by cancer deaths. Adjacent rather than directly competitive; relevant as a potential partner, referral source, and comparable for major-donor and corporate fundraising at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/griefencounter
• Facebookfacebook.com/GriefEncounter
• Instagraminstagram.com/griefencounter
• Xx.com/griefencounter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grief Encounter