No government figures count bereaved children in the UK. Two SeeSaw Young Ambassadors took that to MP Freddie van Mierlo, who has now written to a minister.
No one in the UK government records how many children and young people are bereaved each year. Two young people who were helped through their own grief by an Oxfordshire charity went to the House of Commons earlier this month to ask their MP to help change that, and he has now taken it to a minister.
Aisha Campbell and Nettie Parish, Young Ambassadors for SeeSaw Grief Support, met Freddie van Mierlo, MP for Thame and Henley, with the charity’s Communications Manager, Liv Webster. According to the charity, they talked about their own experience of grief and why official figures on child bereavement matter.
Mr van Mierlo has since written to the Minister for Children and Families about collecting official statistics on bereaved children, SeeSaw says.
What they are asking for
SeeSaw’s case rests on two gaps. There is no national government data on how many children and young people are bereaved each year, and there is no statutory requirement on anyone to provide bereavement support.
The Young Ambassadors argued that reliable numbers would let charities like SeeSaw understand local need, plan their services, and make sure bereaved children can get help “if and when they need it”, in the charity’s words, wherever in the country they live.
Nettie said:
“I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to express the impact that SeeSaw and effective, local grief support overall can have. Grief is life-changing at any age and undoubtedly changes the trajectory for young people’s lives, but this doesn’t have to mean something detrimental. Having the data to understand what children across the country are dealing with has to be an essential step in improving the outcomes for children and giving government and charity the right information to best support young people.”
What the MP wrote
The visit began with a tour of the House of Commons before the meeting. In his letter to the minister, as quoted by the charity, Mr van Mierlo said:
“Through personal testimony from constituents, I am aware of how vital these services are and how highly valued they are by families who receive support. SeeSaw performs remarkable work in helping children to process grief and access the practical and emotional support they need.”
SeeSaw said it was grateful to him “for helping to amplify the voices of bereaved children and young people, and their families”.
The charity behind it
SeeSaw is based at Bush House on Merewood Avenue in Oxford and provides free grief support for children and young people in Oxfordshire when someone close to them is dying or has died. It says it has supported more than 9,000 children and young people since it launched more than 25 years ago.
Between July 2025 and June 2026 it supported 557 bereaved children and young people across the county. That help ranges from one-to-one support to advice and guidance for families, online resources, and training for schools and professionals.
What it means for you
If a child or teenager in your family is facing the death of someone close, or is grieving now, SeeSaw’s support is free to families anywhere in Oxfordshire, including Henley, Thame and Wallingford. The charity’s website is seesaw.org.uk and its office number is 01865 744768. Schools and professionals can also ask about its training.
SeeSaw is a registered charity (number 1076321) and takes donations online.
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