Community

Community has a vital role to play in helping someone cope with separation, loss or bereavement and many other strains on mental health.

Below, you can find photos, messages and more from the Bear Us In Mind community.

View fullsize 🚣You Will Be Okay🚣 This book will help you to find strength, stay hopeful and get to grips with grief. It will help you to support a child when someone important to them has died. And it will also help an adult supporter to have empathy and an
View fullsize Our toolkit aims to allow children to begin to process their experiences of separation and loss, while actively retaining connections with people, places and a culture that has shaped their lives. In this photo, a family is using our 🕯 There will
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View fullsize Head to your IMAGENPAY X BEAR US IN MIND digital prepaid card to show your support and/or make an online donation A donation as little as £10 can help fund the postage of a psychological toolkit to a school or family in need 💛💙 #BearUsInMi
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View fullsize Thank you to ImageNPay you can now donate to BUIM through an INP digital card! Here's how to do it ... 1️⃣ Select your favourite Bear Us In Mind digital card design in the ImageNPay app⁠ ⁠ 2️⃣ Visit bearusinmind.org.uk and click 'Make a donation'⁠ ⁠

Build your toolkit

Every toolkit tells a different story. That's because the contents are carefully considered to meet the individuality of every child and every family using them. To explore more about the toolkit, and the thought process behind each item included, visit our Build Your Toolkit page.

Any questions?

If you would like to ask any questions about Bear Us in Mind and how the toolkits can be used to support children and young people, please get in touch with Child Bereavement UK. If your query refers to The Naval Children’s charity specifically, please get in touch here or email caseworkers@navalchildrenscharity.org.uk.

Our Partners

Many people have volunteered their time, energy and skills to help make Bear Us In Mind what it is.

They may have experienced the different types of loss, separation and bereavements first-hand. Whether from a child dying far too young, the challenges of a divorce, moving away from home, serious illness or many other factors – the reality is that loss impacts everyone.

We are so grateful to the people and organisations below who have contributed to making a toolkit that will result in genuine conversations between people from very different cultures, united by a desire to connect.

 

  • Craftwork Media

    "The war in Ukraine, especially its impact on children is deeply disturbing. The Bear Us In Mind project has allowed us to turn our creative skills and personal experiences into positive tools that help people. We hope that the films we have created can make a difference to the lives of anyone affected by war wherever they are in the world."

  • Brogan Bear

    “This was a huge undertaking for my small, bespoke business - designing and producing the ‘Bear Us In Mind’ family set of bears - and to do it in record time so the children would receive them. The women from the Emma Willis Sewing Studio were extremely generous in giving their time to ensure we created sets of bears so families could feel warmly welcomed. Many personally knew the importance of settling in the UK and the joy of feeling part of a new community so far away from home “

  • Marmalade of London

    “Helen and I, have been overwhelmed by the contribution our team at Marmalade have been able to make towards the logistical challenges of compiling and distributing the Bear Us in Mind Psychological tool kits. We are all broken hearted by what is happening and wanted to assist and we will continue our efforts as long as they are needed. (Piers Flook, CEO Marmalade of London, The Luxury home fragrance company)”

    “It has been a great honour to help contribute to the bear us in mind project. My mum and dad both died when I was young - so it has been interesting to learn about all the tools in the kit and the meaning of them, These children are coming into a new chapter in their life, which they hadn’t planned on, If the toolkit can ease their experience and just help even ONE child, I will know that all the hours spent preparing the kit was so worth it.”

  • Priceless Treasures

    “I've really enjoyed being part of such a passionate team, putting this great resource together.

    I won't pretend it hasn't been challenging at times, especially having to translate into Ukrainian, but overall it's been a fascinating and inspirational experience.

    I really pray that the boxes will be a blessing to the families who've been through such a hard time.”

  • The Preston Associates

    “We are so pleased to support the idea of an adult being a thinking partner for a displaced child. And particularly pleased we could adapt the Little Box of BIG Thoughts in a digital format” Ellie - Marketing Manager.

  • Goodwood

    “It’s been an absolute pleasure to work on such an inspiring and worthy project as Bear Us In Mind. The cause is very close to my heart as two Ukrainian families with children have recently joined my son’s class at school, leaving their fathers behind. To be able to bring a smile to their faces at such an extraordinary and difficult time is heart-warming. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of Bear Us In Mind.”