Ataloss Begins 10th Anniversary Year Backed by Archbishop and Prime Minister
Author: Deborah Auty
Date: 23rd April, 2026
Overview: AtaLoss sets out 10th year vision for UK bereavement support with endorsement from Archbishop of Canterbury and Prime Minister.
AtaLoss begins 10th anniversary year with support from Archbishop of Canterbury and Prime Minister
AtaLoss marked the beginning of its 10th anniversary year with a special evening reception held at Lambeth Palace on Thursday 23 April, attended by the charity's Patron, Dame Sarah Mullally, the Archbishop of Canterbury and with a personal endorsement from the Prime Minister.
The event brought together friends, supporters and partners to reflect on a decade of pioneering bereavement support, announce 10th anniversary plans and look ahead to an ambitious future.
A new annual November-December ‘Bereavement Matters’ season was announced to enhance grief and bereavement awareness weeks, themes and opportunities. This will be launched at a service at St Paul’s Cathedral on 30 October with bereavement services, dignitaries and national and community leaders from across the UK. Supporters were also invited to take up the fundraising challenge of £6M over the coming 10 years to sustain the charity’s aims.
The evening celebrated AtaLoss’ journey to a leading charity bridging a growing gap in bereavement support by combining national signposting, community-based help and public awareness. The charity’s cost effective and scalable model has been growing rapidly supporting both the 85% who could navigate bereavement without therapists and the many thousands harbouring decades of unresolved grief.
The reception set out the charity’s aims to ensure that every UK bereaved person can access timely, holistic support by:
Expanding their national signposting platform AtaLoss.org, already connecting grieving people to over 2,000 services and resources
Growing The Bereavement Journey® programme offered by churches for their communities, into every town, city and rural area across the UK - including universities, care homes, prisons and the Armed Forces – already in almost 600 locations
Increasing public awareness to create a more grief literate society and embedbereavement support within national policy.
The reception was honoured by the presence of AtaLoss’ Patron, The Most Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, new Archbishop of Canterbury, who has long championed the need for increased and accessible bereavement support through her experience as a nurse, ordained minister and Chair of the UK Commission on Bereavement.
The charity was also delighted to have its work commended by Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, who recognised its leadership in the field of bereavement.
Welcoming guests, Dame Sarah Mullally said:
“The impact that a bereavement can have on us cannot be overstated, and we have not always given the bereaved the care and support they deserve. There are considerable challenges in accessing emotional and practical support, and community support is a vital asset. Too many people do not receive the right support at the right time, which has far-reaching consequences in all areas – from health and well-being, to education and employment – significantly affecting the individual, the community and the wider economy. All of us will experience grief in the course of our lives, and AtaLoss is working to address what is a national need. Throughout my life in nursing and then as a priest, I have walked alongside people facing death and bereavement. That is why it is a privilege to serve as Patron of AtaLoss, especially in this key year of celebration. This works speaks deeply to the work of much of my life: demonstrating the love of God, who is with us at life’s hardest moments.”
In his message for the evening, Sir Keir Starmer said:
“Over the past decade, AtaLoss has played an important role in improving how bereaved people are supported, helping individuals and families find understanding, connection and hope at some of the most difficult moments in their lives. By combining practical help, trusted local delivery and effective signposting, AtaLoss continues to show how communities can respond with empathy and resilience to loss.”
CEO and Founder, Yvonne Tulloch - who was recently awarded ‘Most influential CEO, 2026 for bereavement support’ adds:
“With more than six million people significantly bereaved each year, most receiving little or no support, and decades of taboo, the need for bereavement awareness and scalable support solutions has never been greater. Our work is addressing a public health issue, and represents extremely good value for money. Only 10p could transform a bereaved person’s life.”
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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 training and equipping community support, including through The Bereavement Journey® programme.
Yvonne Tulloch, CEO and Founder at AtaLoss is available by prior arrangement.
Media interviews can be arranged via WhatsApp message to Adam May on 07736 949 869 or press@ataloss.org
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