'No child in north Devon has to face grief alone'

Lauren, 13, has received help from Barnstaple-based charity Families in Grief after her grandparents died

A girl said a Children in Need-backed charity has helped her deal with grief and regain confidence.

Following the loss of her grandparents, Lauren, 13, received support from Families in Grief, who work with children, young people and their families who have experienced the death of a loved one.

The Barnstaple charity has received a £105,000 grant, split over three years, from Children in Need to fund two family support officers along with helping to pay the salary of a part-time volunteer coordinator and other volunteer and activity costs.

Chris Walker, chief executive of Families in Grief, said the charity wanted to show "no child in north Devon has to face grief alone".

'Chat about experiences'

Lauren, who will represent the South West in the Children in Need choir on Friday's appeal show on BBC One, said the charity helped her after her grandmother died in the summer of 2024 and her grandfather died on Valentine's Day.

She said she was close to both her grandparents and really struggled with the loss, including finding school very difficult.

In February, Lauren started receiving one-to-one counselling with the charity and later joined group activities at the Skern Lodge outdoor centre in Westward Ho!.

She said she was able to meet other young people who had also experienced loss.

"It helped me because I made some friends who also lost people, so it was quite nice to chat with them about their experiences," Lauren said.

She said doing the activities at the outdoor centre was "lots of fun".

"I'm quite a daredevil and it was really fun," Lauren said.

"I like doing all the activities, especially the water ones and the high ropes."

Lauren said she is now in a good place emotionally and mentally and the charity had made her feel able to "express herself, manage her emotions and regain confidence".

Lauren said she liked doing the activities at Skern Lodge including the water-based ones and high ropes

Mr Walker said the funding from Children in Need would enable the charity to deliver more support.

He added it would give children a "safe place to express their feelings, build resilience and find hope after loss".

Mr Walker said: "With the help of Children in Need, we can continue making sure that no child in north Devon has to face grief alone."