11 December 2025
At Noah’s Ark, we know that the death of a child changes everything. Our dedicated Bereavement Support Team is here to help families navigate the days, weeks, months, and years that follow - offering care, support, and connection every step of the way.
In 2024/25, we:
- Supported 120 families through their bereavement journeys.
- Provided over 1,035 hours of counselling and creative therapy.
- Hosted 58 events for bereaved families - double the number we ran last year.
Our Bereavement Support Manager, Carys Williams, shares:
“Everything we do is shaped by listening to the needs of our bereaved families. We work together to ensure the support we offer is tailored and meaningful, and that’s helped us grow our services in ways that we’re proud of.”
A New Dedicated Space
One of the most significant changes was the opening of our new bereavement counselling suite, The Cabin, in May 2024. Nestled in the peaceful grounds of The Ark, The Cabin offers a private, welcoming space for families to receive support away from areas that may hold painful memories.
“Some families found it difficult to return to The Ark, especially if the child received care, died here or came for care after death,” Carys explains. “The Cabin was built with that in mind; to give families a separate, yet connected, environment.”
Developing Services
In autumn 2024, we asked families what else they needed, and they told us. From this, new peer support groups and activities were developed, bringing families together in ways that feel safe and meaningful.
Thanks to the collaboration between our Bereavement, Creative Therapies, and Specialist Play teams, families can now access a growing number of tailored events and activities, including:
- A weekly creative group for bereaved parents.
- A monthly grandparents group.
- A mixed media group for older bereaved siblings.
- Sunshine Siblings - our new weekly stay and play group, facilitated by a bereaved Mum, for bereaved parents with a pre-school sibling.
Our amazing volunteers are also playing a bigger role than ever. Some are now receiving extra training to support bereavement events, helping us offer even more care to the families who need it.
Exploring Together Workshops
And, in response to the need for deeper conversations around loss, we’ve launched a new series of ‘Exploring Together’ workshops. These sessions bring together families whose child died under similar circumstances, offering the opportunity for group reflection and sharing. We've already held several workshops this year, with more planned for 2026.
“We’re incredibly proud of everything our Bereavement Team has achieved,” says Carys. “And we’re committed to keep growing and adapting, so we can continue to walk alongside families in the way they need us most.”
