OUR STORY

Back in 2018, ten nervous students walked into the Student Counselling Centre at the University of Leeds to join the Parent Loss Group, unsure of what to expect of the next 8 weeks of therapy. Through a series of activities, talking, tears and laughter, an invaluable bond was created. Fast forward two years to 2020 and the group would find themselves connecting on Zoom during a pandemic, happy as ever to be in each others' virtual company. 

One of many topics of conversation was how lucky we all were to have met other people in their twenties, trying to muddle through the endless essays and exams, hangovers and careers events whilst also trying to come to terms with the tragedy of losing a parent. We wanted to expand our group and reach out to people who are in the same position as ourselves, but haven't been lucky enough to find other people who have first hand experience of their struggles.  Mental health support is still sadly massively underfunded and yet highly sought after, so we hope that this platform, which is totally free to use, will be a really helpful resource.

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Navigating your way through your twenties and trying to work out what exactly it is you want to do, where you want to be and battling against the increasingly competitive jobs market is hard enough on its own. Add in the fact that your world has been shaken by the loss of a significant person in your life and it can all just feel too much to handle. One thing is for certain, however, and that is that there truly is power in numbers and by building this community we hope that you will begin to feel that you are never alone, and we really do 'get it'. We hope to comfort and to be comforted. We hope to empower and to be empowered. We can and will live our lives after bereavement and achieve all that we want to. We can and will find our groove after grief.