Dear friend,

Whether this is the first time we've written to you or you've been receiving our newsletter for many years, we're so glad you've linked in to the support of the Bereaved Parents' Network.

Our aim is to offer encouragement and hope to those who are grieving following the loss of their child. We hope this newsletter is one way in which we can remind you that you are not alone.

We also keep in touch through the events we run. You'll find details of these for 2010 at the end of this edition. We look in more detail at what happens at A Day for Bereaved Parents - and we try to answer some questions you may have about the day itself, for example:

• "How soon after my child has died should I come?"
• "What if I cry in front of other people?"
• "My child was an adult - am I still able to come?"

As we look forward, we're here to walk with you to provide comfort, hope and companionship for the road ahead.

With our love,

Kath and Mike Coulson,
Bereaved Parents’ Network Co-ordinators,
Care for the Family
www.careforthefamily.org.uk/bpn

Do you wonder what really goes on at a Care for the Family 'Day for Bereaved Parents'? Perhaps you've asked yourself one or more of the following questions:

• "What actually happens at 'A Day for Bereaved Parents'?"
• "How soon after my child has died should I come?
• "How many people will be there?"
• "What if I cry in front of other people?"
• "I'm not sure I'll be able to talk to other people."
• "My child was an adult - am I still able to come?"
• "My baby was stillborn - am I still a bereaved parent?"
• "Will there be single parents there or is it only for couples?"
• "I'm too ashamed to tell other people how my son/daughter died."

Click here to read some answers to these questions.

The Bereaved Parents' Network supports any parent who has lost a child, of any age and in any circumstance, and at any point along their journey of grief.

Over the last 12 years, Care for the Family has been running events for bereaved parents, and one thing more than anything seems to stand out: parents who have lost a child very often feel isolated and alone in their grieving. Whether they have good support from their family and friends, or there is no-one they can share their story with - most still feel an intense loneliness in not feeling understood in the depth and length of the pain they are feeling.

Read more...

Care for the Family is a national charity which aims to promote strong family life and to help those hurting because of family breakdown. We seek to strengthen marriages, support parents and help the bereaved. We do this through events, resources, training, and support networks of telephone befrienders.

Would you like to receive other information from Care for the Family?

Care for the Family sends out email and postal mailings about the wider work we do and the events we run. However, we are very aware that sometimes mailings about issues surrounding parenting can seem insensitive when your child has died.

So, unless it's requested, we make sure people who receive information about the Bereaved Parents' Network (for example, this newsletter) don't get sent anything that's specifically about our parenting events and resources - as we really don't want to cause further hurt or pain to those already suffering.

However, if you have other children and would appreciate hearing about Care for the Family's parenting events and support, please click here to receive this information.

Specialist support

In addition to the Bereaved Parents' Network, Care for the Family offers other areas of specialist support. You can find out more by clicking on the links below:

• 'A Different Journey' - for those whose partner has died early in life
• 'Another Way' - for parents caring for a child with additional needs
• 'Life in a Stepfamily' - supporting those who parent in a stepfamily
• 'Single Parent Family' - offering support to single mums and dads

Each of these Care for the Family initiatives also produces its own regular email newsletter. You can sign up to receive any of these newsletters at www.careforthefamily.org.uk
/sign-up

Discover you’re not alone, as you meet with others who have experienced the loss of a child.

Here are the details of the 2010 events:

A Day for Bereaved Parents

Woking - Saturday 24 April

Leeds - Saturday 22 May

Cheltenham - Saturday 12 June

Belfast - Saturday 13 November

You can find out more and book your places at www.careforthefamily.org.uk/bpnday or call Care for the Family on (029) 2081 0800.

A Weekend for Bereaved Parents

Staverton Park Hotel, Daventry, Northampton - Friday 8 to Sunday 10 October

You can find out more and book online at www.careforthefamily.org.uk/bereavedparents, or call Care for the Family on (029) 2081 0800.

• Telephone network - parents are put in touch with trained befrienders who have themselves experienced the death of a child.
• Events - giving parents who have lost a child the opportunity to meet others who have walked that road, to learn from shared experiences, and hopefully move towards a 'new normal'. Weekends also provide input for siblings.
• Email newsletter - containing personal stories, articles and helpful advice to support bereaved parents, their relatives and friends. If you, or someone you know, would like to receive this email newsletter regularly, and aren't already doing so, simply go to www.careforthefamily.org.uk/bpn-signup
• Resources - read more articles and stories here.