Hello, I am Rose and I am 7, and I want to raise money in memory of Auntie Grainne and Tuesday who was the dog you can see in the picture, and she loved holding our socks in her mouth and I loved her and she died a few weeks ago after being hit by a car, and also I am raising money because I love the Apart of me game and I want it to be even better.

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Every 22 minutes, a child under the age of 18 in the UK faces the unimaginable loss of a parent. This means that in every UK classroom, one in 29 children will experience the death of someone in their immediate family before they take their GCSEs.

Grief counseling can be costly and inaccessible, leaving young people to turn to unregulated and potentially harmful advice found on social media to process their grief. Without the necessary support, children who have lost a loved one or have a terminally ill relative disproportionately face negative outcomes. For example, 41% of young offenders had experienced bereavement as a child, compared to only 4% of the general population.

This is where Apart of Me comes in; we're on a mission to help millions of young people turn life’s biggest challenges like loss and trauma into inner strength. Through co-design, we developed a multi-award-winning mobile game that takes traditional bereavement-counseling techniques and transforms them into a magical 3D world. We also have a Guides service that supports bereaved young people to become peer mentors and help guide others through their grief. We are revolutionizing grief support through both digital innovation and real-world community. And our impact is proven (see below).

Employees, volunteers, and supporters of Apart of Me are participating in a Step challenge charity appeal to raise funds for Apart of Me. Collectively, we'll aim to walk 5,200,300 steps by 10 December - one step for every child who lost a parent as a result of the pandemic.

Our target amount is £5,000. Your support will make a significant difference in providing essential resources for young people facing loss and trauma.

Please support our mission to help young people everywhere feel less alone when their world is turned upside down.

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Apart of Me Impact

Our multi-award-winning game has to date helped 168,579 users in over 50 countries. It continues to have very high ratings on the App Store (4.6*) and an independent evaluation demonstrated that it is helping vulnerable young people navigate the stormy waters of their grief journey. It is also recommended by leading mental health professionals and the NHS.

Our Guides programme links with the game, and provides co-design and peer mentoring both online and in schools, where our pilot programme has shown remarkable results:

"The programme has been so welcomed by the pupils here, with them knocking on my door to ask when is it happening again! They have shared the experience with friends and there is a conversation starting, this is so needed!" - Head of Year 9 Teacher

"He has really struggled this year with attendance and behaviour. Since doing the project, he has showed up to more than 3/4's of his lessons and is coming to school with a calm and positive attitude." - Head of Year 8 Teacher

This is what young people say about our support system:

"When you're a kid and you lose a parent, there aren't many people around you who understand what you're going through. This has really helped me." - Sarah, age 14

"This game is beautiful. It helped me tremendously in my time of need. The stories are my favorite part... Thank you for this game, I love it so much." - Rosabella, age 15

"It's really flexible and it's always with you so you've got help whenever you need it." - Dan, 14, whose mother died from cancer

And leading healthcare professionals endorse our approach:

"After 12 years working in bereavement services, there has been so little resource specifically for teenagers who are grieving. Apart of Me's Guides programme is amazing." - Rachel Cooke, Bereavement Services Manager, Great Ormond Street Hospital

“As a Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist and former Clinical Director of Good Thinking: London's Digital Mental Well-being Service, I strongly endorse Apart of Me. This innovative app has met rigorous NHS standards for safety, privacy, and effectiveness, establishing itself as a best-in-class digital solution for bereavement support.

The impact of Apart of Me has been profound and moving. Young users have consistently reported how the app provided crucial support during their grief journey, with many expressing that they wish they had access to it immediately following their loss. At a roundtable with the Mayor of London, two young people shared powerful testimonials about how Apart of Me helped them navigate the complex emotions of grief, providing comfort and guidance when traditional support was hard to access.” Dr. Richard Graham, Consultant Child, Adolescent Psychiatrist, Digital Health Pioneer and Expert in Youth Mental Health