Earlier this summer, representatives from the Armed Forces charity Beyond The Wire visited Parliament, where they showcased the UK's first dedicated Bereavement Hub for the Armed Forces community.
The Hub was developed by Jilly Carrell, whose husband, Colonel Nick Carrell, sadly passed away in 2021. Through an incredible amount of voluntary work from experts and professionals, supported by funding from the Veterans' Foundation and other generous donors, the Hub officially launched online in September.
Losing a loved one is never easy, but for military families the challenges can be particularly complex. Alongside coping with grief, bereaved families may face moving home, leaving service accommodation, changing schools, and navigating financial and administrative changes at an already difficult time.
The Bereavement Hub provides a vital source of support, guidance and information for serving personnel, veterans, and their families, friends and colleagues when they need it most.
It's encouraging to see the project receive such strong support across the Armed Forces community, with growing interest from emergency services and other sectors looking to adapt the model to help those facing bereavement in their own communities.
The Bereavement Hub can be accessed here: bereavementhub.org.uk
