25th October 2026
The role of churches in helping people find support after bereavement is highlighted in a new BBC Radio Wales programme marking ten years of AtaLoss.
Presented by Mal Pope, AtaLoss at 10: Finding Support Through Grief and Bereavement features people taking part in The Bereavement Journey ® in St Catherine’s, Pontypridd and the St Catwg Ministry Area in Crickhowell, alongside course leaders Cathy Richards and Revd Charlotte Rushton.
Their stories show the difference churches can make by creating welcoming spaces where people can talk about loss, listen to others and begin to make sense of grief, whatever their faith and however long ago their bereavement happened.
For churches seeking to serve their communities, these conversations offer an encouragement: providing bereavement support can help people feel less alone at one of the most difficult times in their lives.
The programme also explores the personal story behind AtaLoss. Founder and CEO Yvonne Tulloch speaks about the sudden death of her husband and the experience that led her to establish the charity. She highlights a continuing challenge: “We’ve got lots of specialist services all across the UK, but people don’t know about them.”
Churches can play a valuable part in closing that gap, both by offering support locally and by helping bereaved people find other services through AtaLoss.org. For churches running The Bereavement Journey®, displaying a course banner can also help people discover the support available locally. The BBC Radio Wales programme illustrates how these banners can draw people in. For information about obtaining a banner, contact claire.cowper@ataloss.org.
The contribution of chaplains is also explored. Hospital chaplain Dean Roberts, CEO of the Parish Trust, considers why talking openly about death remains difficult and in HMP Edinburgh, prison chaplain Douglas Creighton discusses grief in prison and its links to offending.
Mal opens the programme by describing grief as “extreme love but with nowhere to go”. The conversations that follow show why the ministry of churches and chaplains matters: offering a listening ear, making room for grief and helping people find support.
Broadcast on All Things Considered, the programme is now available on BBC Sounds.
Listen on BBC Sounds: AtaLoss at 10: Finding Support Through Grief and Bereavement.
Could your church offer bereavement support? Explore The Bereavement Journey® and how your church could run it, or help someone find a local programme. Visit AtaLoss.org to find other bereavement support.