Teesside Hospice sees 55.5% increase in children and young people supported through Bereavement Counselling

Teesside Hospice has seen a 55.5% increase in the number of children and young people accessing its Bereavement Counselling Service in the past year.

There were 84 children and young people supported by the service from April 2025 to March 2026, a significant increase from 54 in the previous year. 

Gary Gray, Head of Counselling at Teesside Hospice said: “Year on year, we receive more referrals for bereavement support, reflecting both the growing need for bereavement counselling services and increased awareness of the help available. 

“We’ve seen a significant rise in the number of children and young people accessing counselling, as conversations around death, dying and grief become more open and accepted. 

“This greater willingness to talk about bereavement is helping to reduce stigma, break down barriers to seeking support, and encourage earlier access to counselling services when they are needed most.”

Teesside Hospice provides bereavement counselling for children, young people and adults aged 7 and above. The team believe that support should not be determined by where a loved one has died and so its services are available to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one or other significant person, regardless of the circumstances of their loss, provided the bereavement occurred at least six months ago.

Gary continued: “The increasing demand for our service highlights the clear need for accessible, specialist bereavement support across Teesside. 

“At Teesside Hospice, we are committed to ensuring that children, young people and adults affected by bereavement can access compassionate, professional support during some of the most challenging times in their lives.”

The hospice has now published its Impact Report for 2025-2026, which highlights the increase in demand for care and support from patients and families across the Tees Valley. In addition to the increase in children’s bereavement support, the hospice has also seen demand rise across its Inpatient Unit, Wellbeing Centre and Lymphoedema Clinic. 

The Wellbeing Centre, which offers enriching activities and social groups for patients and carers, has had an 18% increase in individual patients supported through its groups, while the average length of stay on the Inpatient Unit has also increased to 17 days, highlighting the need for longer periods of care. 

The specialist Lymphoedema Clinic also saw a significant rise in appointment contacts, increasing to over 4,000 from April 2025 to March 2026.  

It will cost £7.5 million to operate the hospice’s services this year, with only around 30% of this cost covered by statutory funding. The rest, Teesside Hospice must raise to continue providing this care and compassion at no cost to the local community.

Gary added: “We really appreciate all of the support we receive from our community, and we simply couldn’t cope with this rise in demand without supporters.

“We’re here for everyone across Teesside and it’s our mission to ensure everyone has access to the best care possible. We impact so many lives across the region, and we want to continue to do so – which is why we need your support.

“Thank you for standing with Teesside Hospice.”

To find out more about Teesside Hospice and read the latest impact report, which includes information about the care provided and patients supported, visit www.teessidehospice.org.