The Bodie Hodges Foundation has confirmed donations of £7,500 each from the shoezone trust and Pukka Pies, totalling £15,000, to support the launch of a vital new initiative aimed at helping bereaved children in schools in 2026.
This funding will enable the Leicestershire-based child bereavement charity to pilot a 12 month Bereavement Educator role which will work with schools to support children and young people as they grieve. The charity will begin to pilot the service in 2026 starting with six Leicestershire schools that have experienced the death of a child within their school community.
The role will support grieving students emotionally and provide early intervention training for school staff.
The initiative, part of the charity’s #AddieTheElephant campaign, which formed part of Loros’s #StompRoundLeicester art trail will focus on:
• Emotional resilience and coping strategies for teachers
• Follow-up therapeutic support for grieving students
• A long-term bereavement resource pack for schools
In 2025 alone, the foundation has delivered 1,076 1-1 counselling sessions, reflecting the growing demand for their bereavement services. This new role will help extend that support into educational settings, where children spend much of their time.
Donna Hodges, CEO and co-founder of the charity, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the Shoezone Trust and Pukka Pies for recognising the importance of this work. With their support, we can begin to ensure that children do not feel alone at school, following the death of their sibling. Teachers are the heart of our schools, but they are not equipped to carry the weight of a child’s death alongside the daily demands of teaching. This funding allows us to bring in a dedicated bereavement educator – someone who can guide and support staff and students through unimaginable loss, so teachers can focus on what they do best: educating and caring for their pupils”.
Charles Smith, of the Shoezone Trust, said: “We’re proud to support the Bodie Hodges Foundation, alongside Pukka Pies, in creating a new bereavement support role in schools. Losing a loved one is incredibly difficult, especially for young people, and having the correct support to help them through it can make all the difference. We hope this role brings comfort, connection, and a safe space for children who need it most.”
Sally Voss of Pukka Pies added: “We are extremely proud to collaborate with the Shoezone Trust in supporting the Bodie Hodges Foundation’s new Bereavement Educator role in schools. We feel this fantastic initiative will offer young people the vital support and care needed to navigate through their grief after losing a loved one.”
To learn more or support the campaign, visit: http://www.justgiving.com/campaign/addresstheelephant
