Looking ahead, together
A message from Good Grief Festival Founding Director Lucy Selman
Dear friend of Good Grief Festival,
My father died on 24th December 1993, so I am very aware that for many people, this time of year can be difficult. When families gather and another year draws to a close, losses are often felt more sharply. Whatever you do or do not celebrate, this period can bring memories of people who have died closer to the surface and make their absence feel more present.
If you’re feeling anxious about the next week or so, you might find it helpful to explore our ‘Coping with Grief During the Holiday Season’ playlist on The Grief Channel, particularly this conversation between Julia Samuel MBE and Amber Jeffrey.
LOOKING BACK
As 2025 comes to an end, I’ve been reflecting on a very full year at Good Grief Festival. Just over a year ago, we became a social enterprise, with a simple aim – to create space to talk honestly about death, dying and loss, to widen access to grief research and expertise, and to help build connection for bereaved people.
Over the past year, we’ve hosted panel discussions on topics including grief and learning disabilities, equitable bereavement support, and grief at university. We’ve welcomed back friends such as Dr Kathryn Mannix and Professor Robert Neimeyer for both in-person and online events, and heard from new voices including neuroscientist Professor Mary-Frances O’Connor, doctors Sabrina Bajwah and Catriona Mayland, artists Helen Acklam and Natalia Millman, and others. We’ve also grown our course programme, supporting people to deepen their understanding of grief and helping professionals feel more confident in their work with bereaved people.
This year also saw the launch of the Bristol Centre for Grief Research and Engagement, opening up new opportunities to connect people and develop ideas that can make a real difference. Two weeks ago, we welcomed nearly 60 grief experts, charity leaders, clinicians, researchers, and campaigners to a launch event at the House of Commons. It was a powerful reminder of why this work matters, and of how much can be achieved when people come together. You can read more about the launch and the Centre here.
LOOKING AHEAD
I’m pleased to share that our ‘Grief and Bereavement in Primary Care’ course begins on 28th January. We know how important GPs and primary care professionals are for people who are grieving, and we’re proud to support them in this role. The course has been developed with practising GPs and GP trainers, and features contributions from leading grief experts including Julia Samuel MBE, Professor Mary-Frances O’Connor, and Dr Catherine Millington-Sanders. All sessions will be recorded for on-demand learning. If you know someone who might be interested, please do pass this on. Our early bird price of £89 is available until 6th January.
In 2026, we’ll continue to host the Grief Centre seminar series, and we’ve just announced three new sessions with leading researchers in the field. Our next seminar takes place on 15th January, when our co-director Dr Lesel Dawson will speak on The Art of Grief: Creativity, Loss and the Imagination. You can view the full programme and register here.
Finally, we are really glad to be able to share some early news about our exciting plans for 2026. We’ll be hosting three in-person Good Grief festivals, working closely with local communities and organisations in each place. These will include Good Grief Hastings from 22nd–25th May, and, later in the year, Good Grief Weston and Good Grief Blackpool, both taking place from 8th–11th October. We’ll share more details as plans develop over the coming months. We’ll also host more free online events — watch this space!
For now, thank you for being part of this community. Good Grief Festival exists because of the people who support it, take part, and share their time and trust with us. If you’d like to get in touch, you can email us at hello@goodgrieffest.com. We always appreciate hearing from you.
Wishing you a gentle festive season, and moments of ease and joy where they feel possible.
Lucy Selman
Founding Director, Good Grief Festival
Seven live webinars with leading grief experts, facilitated by practicing GPs
On-demand access to recordings and signposting resources for each session
Evidence-based, practical guidance for primary-care professionals
Co-designed with GPs and GP trainers, and tailored to real appointment pressures
Early bird price only available until 6th January
You can still register to join our special course with the fabulous Julia Samuel. Suitable for everyone, the on-demand webinars introduce Julia’s Pillars of Strength, helping you survive, and even thrive, through life’s inevitable highs and lows.
Would you like to learn more about our co-director Lesel Dawson’s fascinating research into the relationship between creativity and grief? Join us on 15th January for the next seminar of our series in partnership with the Grief Centre.
EXPERIENCES OF GRIEF IN ETHNICALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES: PANEL DISCUSSION AND FILM LAUNCH
How is grief experienced in diverse cultural, ethnic and religious communities? What support would be helpful? As part of National Grief Awareness Week 2025, we organised an online panel to discuss these questions. We also launched a short film about the Equitable Bereavement Care for All study, led by our panellists Dr Sabrina Bajwah and Dr Catriona Mayland. You can watch it here.
GRIEF AND BEREAVEMENT IN PRIMARY CARE
Sheena Sharma, Lynsey Bennett and Lucy Selman introduce our brand new Grief Academy course, designed specifically for GPs and primary-care professionals who want to enhance their knowledge and support skills when addressing grief, death, and end-of-life topics.
FOCUS ON THE PROCESS: NATALIA MILLMAN ON SHARING GRIEF THROUGH ART
Our Letters to Forever panel brought together three artists who have used creative methods to express and share their grief. In this clip, Natalia Millman explains that it isn't the artwork that matters, but how it feels to make something.