The charity, Teddy's Wish, is inviting parents whose babies have died to a retreat. 

The retreat has been set up by bereaved parents for bereaved parents and is a residential weekend event.   

The founders of Teddy's Wish, Jennifer and Chris Reid are bereaved parents themselves and they know that grief can be a very lonely and isolating journey.

They both benefited greatly from speaking to other bereaved parents and since setting up Teddy’s Wish, the couple have been passionate about hosting a retreat to give bereaved parents the opportunity to have time away to connect with their child who has died and with each other.

About the retreat

Following the success of last year’s retreat, this year it will be held on the weekend of 6th and 7th October in the beautiful, natural setting of St Katharine’s Parmoor in Buckinghamshire, near Henley-on-Thames.

Parents are welcome to attend as couples or individually. The weekend will start on Saturday morning, with parents arriving between 9am and 10am and will finish on Sunday at 12noon. Other family members, including children, are welcome to join you for a picnic lunch in the beautiful grounds.

It will be a time for bereaved parents to come together and relax in a place close to nature. This retreat is a place to share your child’s story and legacy.

Many bereaved parents fear losing connection with their children who have died and Teddy's Wish hope that by taking this time for yourself, you are able to connect with your baby or child in a meaningful way.  

The weekend will provide an opportunity to reflect on how the experience of loss affects us, our relationships and our world. There will be sessions covering mindfulness, meditation and gentle yoga as well as time for outdoor exercise.

It’s very important that all parents attending our retreat will feel comfortable in this environment and with each other. Teddy's Wish received the following comment from a parent who attended last year:

“Meeting other bereaved parents has been an invaluable experience. Making the time to just be where I am and not feeling pressure to get into the ‘functioning me’ 

“It’s always so beneficial spending time with other people on the ‘inside’ of this. Its Impossible or at least very difficult to understand without having experienced it, and so all other friends and family struggle to ‘get it’ but in this space it’s possible to be, without having to explain or to hide grief away because you don’t feel it would be understood.

“Within a short space of time, I felt at ease talking about my pain with people who had moments before been strangers.”

All costs are funded by Teddy’s Wish but spaces are limited. If you are interested in attending or if you have any questions, please email: jennifer@teddyswish.org 

For further information visit the Teddy's Wish website