Stars
Pre-bereavement and Post-bereavement support service
For children and young people age 4-19, who live or attend school in Cambridgeshire
Changes to Stars
Important update: From 1 December 2025, Stars will introduce a new part-funded model to help protect the future of our bereavement support for children and young people in Cambridgeshire.
Our commitment remains the same – no child or young person will be turned away because of financial circumstances.
Changes to how we work
From 1 December 2025, Stars will move to a new part-funded model designed to secure the long-term sustainability of the service and ensure we can continue supporting children and young people across Cambridgeshire who are experiencing or anticipating the loss of someone close to them.
Why the change?
The Stars Bereavement Service has a proven impact, helping children and young people to understand their grief, build resilience and find ways to cope after bereavement. However, the funding landscape for charities has become increasingly challenging.
To protect the future of the service, we are introducing a model where schools contribute a small proportion of the cost of support. This approach will allow us to continue providing a service that is free at the point of access for families, while ensuring we can meet growing demand and maintain the high quality of our counselling provision.
What this means
- Pre-bereavement support will remain free for all families.
- Children already receiving support or on the waiting list will continue to do so free of charge.
- New referrals from schools will be accepted under the new subsidised model.
DOWNLOAD: Ormiston Families Stars Bereavement Referral Form
DOWNLOAD: Ormiston Families Stars Pre-Bereavement Referral Form
We also recommend the resources available at winstonswish.org and childbereavementuk.org
Information for Families
We know how difficult it can be when a child experiences the death of someone close to them – or when a family is preparing for a loss. The Stars Bereavement Service is here to provide compassionate, specialist support to help children and young people make sense of their feelings and find a way forward.
Although the way we fund the service is changing, our commitment to families remains the same: no child or young person will be turned away because of financial circumstances.
From December 2025, we will continue to offer:
- Free pre-bereavement support for children and families who are anticipating the loss of someone close.
- Ongoing support for all children already receiving counselling or on our waiting list.
- Continued access to specialist counsellors who understand the unique impact of grief on children and young people.
Tell us how you feel about Stars this Christmas
This winter we are asking anyone who loves Stars to show their appreciation on our special dedication page.
We want to know how Stars has supported you through difficult times and how you feel about the team.
Simply click the ‘Stars at Christmas’ button below and follow the instructions to complete your dedication.
Poppy’s Story
“After the passing of her Nanny and Grandad, Poppy dropped out of college and struggled with depression and anxiety. With her unexpressed grief and emotions making her fear she’d get ‘lost in depression’, Poppy needed someone to turn to. Our Stars children’s bereavement support service stepped in to help her build a brighter future.”
Become a supporter
Your support makes Stars’ work possible.
If you would like to help us continue to give brighter futures to children who have been affected by bereavement click here to become a supporter.
Find out more
Provide Community Grants
The Provide Community Grant scheme offers grants to charities and community interest companies that focus on health and social care support.