National Children and Young People’s Bereavement Charity Launches New Text Service

The UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish, is calling on the local community to spread the word about its new bereavement text service.

In recognition of the fact that many young people prefer to write down their feelings or worries while still chatting in real-time, the charity has shaped its services to champion digital support which can be accessed in communities throughout the UK including in our local community.

Designed to be grief support in your pocket and increase accessibility of support for grieving young people aged 13 and older, the new text service is launching on Monday the 15^th of September. It will be available over WhatsApp or SMS texting between the hours of 3 to 8pm every weekday excluding bank holidays.

The text service will offer young people superfast access to a bereavement support worker right from their phones and will allow children and young adults the chance to message on the way back from school, at home or between messaging friends.

They can leave and restart the conversation and pick up where they left off without having to explain their situation again from the start.

Letizia Perna, Deputy CEO and Director of Services at Winston’s Wish explains, “It is our vision that no young person is left to grieve alone, and it’s our aim that our support and access to that support is what young people need and want.

“Our services champion digital support and allow young people themselves to access our bereavement advice. We also remain on hand to help parents, carers and professionals to offer advice to them when they are supporting a grieving young person.”

Winston’s Wish’s new text service is available over WhatsApp and SMS on 07418341800. It is open from 3pm-8pm, weekdays (excluding bank holidays).  

The new service is designed for young people aged 13 to 25 to speak to the charity directly. This new service does not supersede the current services on offer, such as calling free on 08088 020 021, emailing ask@winstonswish.org or using the live chat on the website, rather this text service is designed to provide another avenue for grieving young people to reach out for grief support in a way they may prefer.

Adults supporting grieving young people or grieving children under the age of 13 can still contact Winston’s Wish by calling free on 08088 020 021, emailing ask@winstonswish.org or using the live chat on the website. 

Devastatingly, estimates suggest that every 20 minutes a young person is told their parent has died and that figure doesn’t equate how many children or young adults are coping with the death of a sibling, friend, relative or another significant individual.

Established in 1992, last year alone, Winston’s Wish supported and directly impacted the lives of more than 95,000 children and young people and continues to provide support and advice when a young person’s world is turned upside down by bereavement.