Grief To Growth Creative Support System
Building a Community for Bereaved Parents and those supporting Bereaved Families
How to Be Present in Grief
A Holistic Whole-Person Approach to Grief for Bereaved Parents and Bereavement Training for Professionals
COMING SOON…
If you would like to be contacted when these courses and training become available, please contact us here:
Coming Soon: Grief to Growth Creative Drop-In Sessions led by Author and Bereaved Parent, Ginny Walker. These gentle drop-in sessions are held on a regular basis. Come along and spend time with other bereaved parents and families, for connection, creative exploration, journalling and supportive conversation. Sign up to our Newsletter for details once confirmed.
A Creative Approach to Grief
Learning to be Present
Workshops Beginning in November in Hampshire. Venue TBC…
Coming Soon: Grief to Growth Creative Drop-In Sessions led by Author and Bereaved Parent, Ginny Walker. These gentle drop-in sessions will be held on a regular basis. Come along and spend time with other bereaved parents and families, for connection, creative exploration, journalling and supportive conversation. Sign up to our Newsletter for details once confirmed.
These projects have been my lifeline and have given me purpose and a way to help others, while honouring my son and my grief and still being the mum my daughters need. Exploring creativity whilst grieving is a healthy way to find self expression and give your heart and mind a chance to switch off while your soul searches for balance and harmony again. My understanding of losing a child has inspired me to create spaces for other parents to find meaning, a way to express and a chance to connect with others who have been through similar unimaginable experiences of child loss, with the hope of showing you that life still holds magic in the every day and that finding your voice through a creative and holistic approach is a beautiful way to realise all that the universe and your life still holds for you. While these workshops are not a counselling service or bereavement group, these sessions will be a time for you to focus on yourself, your soul and your wellbeing through creative expression with a whole-person approach.
Creative and Supportive Workshops
These workshops will eventually form a part of my Grief To Growth Creative Six Month Transformative program which I am currently developing and which will be a blend of online and in-person workshops over six months, creating a support network and building a community of other bereaved parents to provide connection, encouragement and friendship.
During these two hour workshops, we will explore gentle, creative practices each week, such as:
Vision boards to imagine possibilities while honoring our children
Memory jars to hold treasured moments
Affirmation cards and journaling to nurture self-expression and strength
Kindness calendars to carry our children’s legacy of love into the world
Art-making as a way to express grief and transform emotion into meaning
Breathwork as a fundamental way to process our grief and maintain inner balance
A Safe and Supportive Space
This is a space where you can:
Speak your child’s name and story freely, knowing they will be honored
Connect with other parents who understand and hold space without judgment
Suggest topics or activities for future gatherings, we’ll shape this journey together
Sustainable and Accessible
These workshops will be offered at an affordable price, but there will always be a space for a parent to come along on a donation or pay-it-forward basis. No parent will ever be excluded.
These workshops are where you will learn gentle expression and self-awareness through creativity with a breath-led approach.
This is the beginning of a wider vision: to help bereaved parents to understand how to apply their whole self to being in the present moment and begin to process their grief, in order to help rediscover meaning and connection after loss.
If this speaks to your heart, I would be honoured to welcome you. Express your interest using the button below.
Disclaimer: These workshops are not counselling or therapy sessions and if you need urgent mental health support and guidance, please do connect with www.thegoodgrieftrust.org or www.samaritans.org
Creative Workshops
When a child dies, the world’s landscape changes forever for those left behind. Grief can feel a bit like treading water in an ocean, when there’s no sign of land, not knowing how to keep breathing, or how far to keep swimming, but knowing you have to.
Amidst the heartbreak, many parents long for a place where their love, grief and memories can be heard and shared openly; and where creativity becomes a gentle path towards healing.
I lost my son, Ben, to acute myeloid leukaemia in the summer of 2019, following a stem cell transplant. He was only 12 years old. As I’ve had time to reflect, to grow, to embrace my grief, I’ve found that creativity - writing, painting, walking in nature - it all helps to create little pockets of stars and magic in my broken heart.
Over the last seven years, I’ve tried to carry Ben’s light forward through our family’s annual campaign, Ben’s Epic Christmas Boxes; and more recently, by hosting The Magical Match podcast, which raises awareness about the importance of stem cell donation and now, my newly relaunched Family of Five podcast. I’ve also written books; comedy, grief and more recently, my memoir, Family of Five.
Grief Cafes
If you are new to grief or even years in and simply want to meet with other parents who understand the need for connection at the most unimaginable time, then an informal, quietly supportive, grief cafe is something you may wish to consider coming along to.
It’s a chance to be yourself in a supportive and caring environment, where bereaved parents can share their children’s stories with a network of support.
Grief Cafes are free, but you are welcome to make a donation for refreshments. Groups will be kept small and while the cafe is free, there will be a box for donations to cover the cost of refreshments.
Disclaimer: This is not a counselling or therapy session and if you need urgent mental health support and guidance, please do connect with www.thegoodgrieftrust.org or www.samaritans.org