User:KateFEdits/sandbox/Shelley Gilbert

Shelley Gilbert, MBE, is a British bereavement counsellor and charity founder. She is the founder of Grief Encounter, a charity that provides support for bereaved children and young people.{{cite news
|title=Helping children cope with the death of a parent
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/may/04/helping-children-cope-death-of-parent
|work=The Guardian
|date=4 May 2013
|access-date=21 April 2026
}}

Her work supporting bereaved children has been featured in national media, including the BBC and The Guardian.{{cite news
|title=Children's bereavement: how to help a grieving child
|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38897383
|work=BBC News
|access-date=21 April 2026
}}{{cite news
|title=9 ways to help children understand grief
|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/family/9-ways-help-children-understand-7402433
|work=Daily Mirror
|access-date=21 April 2026
}}

She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to bereaved children.{{cite web
|title=Founder of children's bereavement charity receives MBE
|url=https://www.times-series.co.uk/news/11188940.Founder_of_children_s_bereavement_charity_receives_MBE/
|website=Times Series
|access-date=21 April 2026
}}

== Early life ==
Gilbert was orphaned at a young age; her mother died when she was four years old and her father five years later.{{cite news
|title=Helping children cope with the death of a parent
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/may/04/helping-children-cope-death-of-parent
|work=The Guardian
|date=4 May 2013
|access-date=21 April 2026
}}{{cite news
|title=9 ways to help children understand grief
|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/family/9-ways-help-children-understand-7402433
|work=Daily Mirror
|access-date=21 April 2026
}}

== Career ==
In 2003, Gilbert wrote a book on bereavement, which was followed by increased demand for guidance and support.{{cite news
|title=9 ways to help children understand grief
|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/family/9-ways-help-children-understand-7402433
|work=Daily Mirror
|access-date=21 April 2026
}} In 2004, she founded the charity Grief Encounter to provide counselling and support to children who have lost a parent or sibling.{{cite news
|title=Helping children cope with the death of a parent
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/may/04/helping-children-cope-death-of-parent
|work=The Guardian
|date=4 May 2013
|access-date=21 April 2026
}}

== References ==
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