Grief, in its many forms, is one of the most painful experiences that anyone can suffer, and every year it is experienced by thousands of families in this country.

• Around 53 children and young people under 18 are bereaved of a mother or father every day.
• Each year over 3000 children and young people die between the ages of 1 and 19, as a result of illness or accident.
• Every year one baby in a hundred dies before, at, or soon after birth - that is 17 babies each day.
• A further 1700 babies die before reaching their first birthday.
• One in four pregnant women has a miscarriage. Following antenatal testing, more than 2% of babies will be diagnosed with a serious problem, leaving parents to make a very difficult choice around termination of pregnancy.
• One in 100 babies is born with a mental or physical disability.
• Each year, around 6000 families are bereaved by suicide.
• Each day many couples face the grief of failed IVF treatment.

While so different, these experiences and many others involve strong feelings of loss.