When a child experiences loss or trauma, they often don’t have the words to express themselves, and their friends and peers don’t know what to say. Young people are often left out of conversations about bereavement and grief, which can lead to them feeling isolated and alone. Support can happen too late, which can have a significant impact on life outcomes:

• 127 Children and young people are bereaved of a parent every single day in the UK. (Childhood Bereavement Network).
• 41% of young people within the youth justice system in one study experienced a bereavement. (Higgins, 2001)
• 25% of under 20-year-olds who died by suicide experienced childhood bereavement. (NCISH, 2017)
• 1/3 of parentally bereaved children reach clinical levels of emotional difficulties within 2 years. (Worden, 1996)

There is increased awareness of loss and trauma caused by the events of the Covid-19 pandemic. Easy access to unregulated information online means that now is the time to teach children about these topics in the safe space of a classroom. But schools face increasing pressure to improve attainment after the pandemic, and often lack time, resources and support.

Jenna Maudlin, aged 38 from Norfolk, experienced mental health struggles in school when her mother was diagnosed with MS during her GCSEs, and further loss at 22 when her mother passed away. She saw firsthand how stigma and lack of grief literacy prevented many from seeking help until they were in crisis, and further exacerbated existing inequalities. Determined to change this, Jenna and her team launched The Firefly Project to provide young people, educators, and communities with a safe space to openly discuss grief, and learn how to help themselves and others through design-based workshops and resources.

Big Change provided early-stage funding and tailored support to Jenna to develop The Firefly Project.

The Firefly Project aims to tackle the taboos that prevent us from talking about loss and open up the conversation by bringing proactive grief education to the classroom. The project empowers children, young people and those who support them to understand loss as a part of life, so they can help themselves and others through grief.

Firefly workshops focus on building understanding and awareness, social emotional skills, and 21st Century skills, and have been co-designed with young people and educators. They are delivered by The Firefly team and supported by a movement of young collaborators called The Fireflies. The team works in partnership with schools, colleges, universities, youth and community groups. Their work is trauma-informed and supported by clinical experts.

In 2024, Jenna was awarded the Fair Education Alliance's prestigious Innovation Award.

Jenna Maudlin experienced mental health struggles in school when her mother was diagnosed with MS during her GCSEs, and further loss at 22 when her mother passed away.

The Firefly Project seeks to create a future where no young person feels alone in their grief, breaking down barriers and building a more compassionate and equitable world for all.