Author: Deborah Auty
Date: 31st October, 2026
Overview: An astonishing 3,000+ attended the service at St Paul’s Cathedral to mark ten years of AtaLoss and launch the first Bereavement Matters Season.
An astonishing number of people attended the service on 30th October, marking AtaLoss’ 10 years of helping bereaved people find support and launching the first Bereavement Matters Season. More than 3,000 came, double the expected number, filling St Paul’s Cathedral almost to capacity.
Attendees came from across the UK: bereaved people, as well as the charity representatives, healthcare professionals, national and community leaders, dignitaries and public figures invited. Many individuals had run or participated in the charity's The Bereavement Journey® programme and came to recognise the difference it is making. Others sought a shared moment to remember someone they loved and have their continuing loss acknowledged. One member of the public thanked AtaLoss staff, saying she had come because it was the day of a friend’s funeral which she’d not been able to attend. Another passer-by had heard only 20 minutes before of her brother’s death and was comforted when she came in.
Hundreds of candles were lit with the names of loved ones on display. People also queued to add names to ribbons and tie them to rotary washing lines, an everyday object reflecting how those who have died remain part of daily life.
Messages of support came from His Majesty The King, AtaLoss’ Patron the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Speaker of the House of Commons, recognising the charity’s achievements and the importance of its work.
Founded in 2016, AtaLoss addresses the far-reaching consequences of unsupported grief through a three-tiered approach: raising awareness, connecting people to help through their signposting platform AtaLoss.org, and expanding community provision through training and The Bereavement Journey® programme, now in 670 locations across the UK. The charity describes their model as a scalable, cost-effective way to provide timely, holistic support for the majority of bereaved people who should not need clinical help.
The Right Reverend Rob Wickham, Group Chief Executive of the Church Urban Fund, preached on the often unseen presence of grief and the importance of making space for it. He recognised AtaLoss’ role in helping people face bereavement, challenged the expectation that they should have “moved on”, and spoke of comfort and hope.
Readings were given by Christine Jardine MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Grief Support and the Impact of Death on Society; Dame Barbara Monroe, DBE, FRSA, Commissioner on the UK Commission on Bereavement, founder of the Candle Children’s Bereavement Project and former Chief Executive of St Christopher’s Hospice; and the Venerable Andrew Hillier, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.
Prayers were read by leaders representing faith communities, bereavement support, the funeral sector, the Armed Forces and prison chaplaincy.
For founder and CEO Yvonne Tulloch, the occasion reflected a personal journey. She established AtaLoss following her husband’s sudden death and her discovery of the difference that finding the right help can make.
Speaking at St Paul’s, Yvonne described the anniversary as “an important moment in the life of AtaLoss and for bereavement support as a whole”.
She warned that unsupported bereavement is contributing to social problems, including mental and physical ill-health, yet its impact remains insufficiently recognised, and that growing demand for help with both recent and past losses is stretching already limited resources.
The new annual Bereavement Matters Season responds to this need. Bringing together remembering and awareness activities throughout November and December, the initiative aims to deepen understanding of grief and strengthen support, with the inaugural season emphasising the importance of effective signposting and the need for sustainable funding.
The ribbon washing lines will form a Remembering Trail across London, which visitors can take part in and add to. Accompanying the trail is Still With Me, a single by Mal Pope released especially for the season and available as a free download.
Yvonne invited individuals, workplaces, communities, schools and faith groups to get involved in Bereavement Matters Season and to help shape the charity’s next ten years.
"The number who attended is testimony to the public’s desire for grief to be recognised,” says Yvonne.
"We have come a long way, but in many respects it’s just the beginning. We want everyone to know that supporting bereavement matters, not just for individuals but for society as a whole. Unsupported bereavement is leaving people unable to deal well with their loss. We believe as we move into the next 10 years, if we work together across the sectors for greater provision of bereavement support, this could contribute significantly to transforming society."
Thanking everyone who made the occasion possible and who had supported AtaLoss' first ten years, the charity is appealing for funding to continue to develop its work.
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AtaLoss is a UK wide charity helping bereaved people find support and wellbeing by raising awareness about the impact of bereavement; directing to help through the signposting website ataloss.org; and equipping community support, including training for organisations and The Bereavement Journey® peer support programme.
Yvonne Tulloch, AtaLoss CEO and Founder, is available for interview by prior arrangement.
Media interviews can be arranged by WhatsApp message to Adam May on 07736 949 869 or by emailing press@ataloss.org.
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