About AtaLoss
Winners of Two Acquisition International Awards 2023 and Two Care UK Business Awards 2024
AtaLoss was established as a charity in 2016, to ensure that no one in the UK should be left without support when someone dies.
Our mission is to change the culture of bereavement, so that every bereaved person can have timely and holistic support, to navigate their grief and changed circumstances for healthy outcomes.
We do this by addressing the first three tiers of the adult bereavement care pyramid:
Raising awareness of the effect of bereavement
Providing a central signposting and information service for everyone bereaved
Training and equipping community support.
This relieves pressure on public services and frees specialists for complex needs.
By enhancing awareness of grief and the issues of bereavement, improving access to help and fostering community resilience, AtaLoss is highlighting and addressing bereavement as a public health issue.
Founder and Chief Executive of AtaLoss, Revd Canon Yvonne Tulloch, writes:
“When I was suddenly widowed in 2008, I realised how little I and those around me knew about bereavement, its difficulties and needs, and how hard it can be to find understanding support. Like so many others, my life went into freefall; I went from high functioning to job loss, home loss and suicidal thoughts over just a few months. The turning point came when I encountered a service specialising in help for young widows, and an informal, community-based bereavement group. These provided me with important understanding and helped me to re-build my life.”
Yvonne Tulloch explains what led her to found the charity:
The Need for Bereavement Support
Over 600,000 people die in the UK each year, leaving many millions every year navigating loss.
Everyone will be bereaved sooner or later.
Bereavement impacts practically, physically, socially, spiritually and psychologically – not just emotionally and the majority of bereaved people do not find the support they need.
Despite this, support remains fragmented and underfunded.
1 in 3 people experience a mental health crisis following a significant bereavement.
Young people who lose a parent are more likely to experience educational and emotional challenges.
Bereavement can influence the onset of criminal and/or risk-taking behaviour and disrupts desistance.
Public services are overwhelmed, and many grieving individuals fall through the cracks.
Bereavement affects everyone sooner or later. Timely help enables most bereaved people to navigate their circumstances healthily. Without adequate support bereavement can lead to mental and physical ill-health, economic hardship and societal instability.
Our Journey So Far
From Foundational Experiences to Nationwide Impact
2015 | Visioning
In 2015, Yvonne consulted with bereavement charity leaders who agreed on the need for a dedicated bereavement signposting website that would direct to all the specialist services and resources available according to the circumstances of the death.
2016 | Charity Formed
In 2016, AtaLoss achieved charity status, and ‘Listening People’ was started, training to support bereaved children and young people.
2017 | Signposting Service Launched
By 2017, AtaLoss.org – our first signposting website, was live, acting as a hub for finding national and local bereavement support services, helplines, resources and information.
2020 | Pandemic Response
In 2020, we were awarded an upgraded signposting website and we began supporting bereaved people online with ‘The Bereavement Journey’ peer group support resource and training churches for their communities to deliver ‘The Bereavement Journey’.
2022 | Media and Public Recognition
In 2022, we gained media attention in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death. Public conversations on grief were elevated, creating more awareness around AtaLoss’ mission, and the UK Commission on Bereavement identified a national bereavement need, highlighting the work of AtaLoss.
2023 | New The Bereavement Journey® Programme
In 2023, The Bereavement Journey® films were updated, expanded and re-launched for wide inclusion and to support the needs of unresolved, as well as current, bereavements.
2024 | Exponential Expansion
In 2024, AtaLoss received a transformative donation designated for accelerating our growth and ensuring sustainable impact. This enabled us to strengthen our infrastructure, staff and ambassadorial capacity to meet rising demand for bereavement support.
2025 | Improved Signposting and APPG
At the start of 2025 AtaLoss launched this third generation AtaLoss.org for more comprehensive bereavement information and support and established an All-Parliamentary Group on ‘Grief Support and the Impact of Death on Society’.
What We Do
1. Media
We are intentional about being in the media. We are becoming the ‘go to’ charity for response to national crises and for thought leadership around bereavement. For press enquiries only, contact Adam May or call 07736 949869.
2. Signposting - AtaLoss.org
Our signposting has won several awards for its innovation. We are the UK wide provider and are aiming for a Gold Standard of comprehensive support with routine referral. See our gold standard.
3. The Bereavement Journey®
Our The Bereavement Journey® programme is pioneering in its model of structured, volunteer-led community support. Its rapid spread is testimony to its effectiveness and popularity. In 2024 it received a UK Business Award Care Award and is increasingly directed to by Funeral Directors, Social Prescribers and Primary Health Care providers.
4. Church Training
Churches are in every community. We are enabling them to become centres of bereavement support and catalysts for bereavement friendly communities.
5. Training to Support Children and Young People
Our Listening People project provides emergency help and training to support children and young people through loss.
6. Partnerships
By collaborating and partnering with public health, commercial and bereavement sector organisations we are raising the profile of AtaLoss, harnessing expertise and enabling support for employees.
7. All Party Parliamentary Group
Our ‘Grief Support and the Impact of Death on Society’ APPG brings together parliamentarians and stakeholders to advocate for bereavement support as a public health priority.
Download our leaflet explaining the work of AtaLoss here. To order a free sample pack of leaflets and flyers/posters visit our shop.
