How the Chesterton House Foundation is Supporting The Bodie Hodges Foundation

We are proud to share that Chesterton House has awarded a £1,000 grant to The Bodie Hodges Foundation to support its bereavement services for families who have lost a baby or child.

The grant will help fund Bodie’s Bereavement Service, which supports families bereaved of a baby from 24 weeks’ gestation up to young people aged 18, living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. The service is available during the first two years after a child has died — a time that can feel overwhelming, isolating and deeply uncertain.

Why this work matters

The early period following the death of a child is critical. Access to timely, specialist support can make a significant difference to how families process their grief and begin to rebuild their lives.

Without services like this, many families would face expensive private counselling or long waiting lists elsewhere — sometimes up to six months. At a point when support is most needed, delay can compound distress.

The Bodie Hodges Foundation aims to see families within 12 weeks of referral. All services are provided free of charge so that no family is left to grieve alone.

What the service provides

Following referral, families are offered a therapeutic assessment with one of the Foundation’s bereavement counsellors. From there, they can access a range of support from Bodie’s House in Leicester, including:

• Early therapeutic support for individuals and couples
• One-to-one counselling
• Counselling support for children and young people, either in school or at Bodie’s House
• Peer support groups for adults, children and young people

The focus is holistic and family-centred, providing a safe space for parents, siblings and wider family members to talk openly about their child, share memories and give their grief a voice. It supports conversations around death and helps protect the mental health of the whole family unit.

A charity built on lived experience

The Bodie Hodges Foundation was founded in 2013 by Donna and Paul Hodges after the death of their 10-month-old son, Bodie. Their experience highlighted just how isolating the loss of a child can be, and they were determined to ensure other families would not have to navigate that path alone.

Many members of the team bring personal experience of child bereavement to their work, shaping services with deep understanding and compassion.

Demand for support continues to grow. In 2023, the Foundation delivered 751 one-to-one counselling sessions. In 2024, that number rose to 1,251 — a 66% increase in just one year. This growth underlines both the need for early therapeutic bereavement support and the importance of sustainable funding.

In 2023, the charity also successfully raised £450,000 to purchase Bodie’s House, securing a permanent, safe and stable base for families for years to come.

Making a difference locally

As a firm rooted in Leicestershire, we believe in supporting organisations that strengthen our local community. The Bodie Hodges Foundation fills a vital gap in specialist child bereavement support and creates a compassionate community for families at one of the most challenging times imaginable.

We are grateful for the work they do and proud that this grant will help ensure families across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland can continue to access support when they need it most.

If you would like to learn more about The Bodie Hodges Foundation or their work, you can visit their website or watch stories from families they have supported.