Sunbeams: Expanding Bereavement Support for Children in Crisis

Sunbeams is the only face-to-face bereavement support service for children and young people in Rotherham, and demand has never been greater. In 2024/25, the service was urgently reconfigured and expanded to meet a dramatic rise in grief-related trauma among children, many of whom had experienced sudden or unexpected death outside of hospice care.

Recognising that long NHS waits and overstretched mental health services were leaving vulnerable children unsupported, Rotherham Hospice innovated Sunbeams into a dynamic, inclusive, trauma-informed programme. The team introduced flexible referral criteria, streamlined access pathways, and adapted delivery to include creative therapies and group support. The result: more children helped, earlier intervention, and deeper long-term impact.

In one year, Sunbeams delivered 360 sessions and supported 89 children, its highest reach ever. Feedback shows overwhelming improvements in emotional expression, school attendance, and family communication.

This entry celebrates Sunbeams as a shining example of responsive, community-led innovation: a frontline service that stepped up, adapted fast, and helped children in crisis begin to heal.