Grief Awareness Week arrives every December, but as everyone who has lost a loved one knows, grief doesn’t wait for a date in the diary. It moves at its own pace, sometimes gentle, sometimes overwhelming, sometimes catching you off guard when you thought you were doing “okay”.
At Franklin & Hawkins Family Funeral Directors, this week is a chance to pause, reflect, and stand with the families we’ve supported throughout the year. It’s also a reminder that grief isn’t something to get over, it’s something we learn to live alongside.
This year, grief touched our own team too
This year, some of us have experienced the heartbreaking loss of loved ones ourselves. As funeral professionals, we walk with families through their darkest moments every day, but feeling that loss personally brings a different kind of understanding.
It has been one of the greatest honours of our careers to care for our own loved ones. To prepare, guide, and hold space for them with the same gentleness we offer to every family who walks through our doors.
Those moments reminded us why we do what we do: love, dignity, and community matter more than anything.
Our Remembrance Tree
Every December we put up our Remembrance Tree, space where anyone can place a tag with a message, or name of someone they’re missing.
For many, the festive season comes with mixed emotions. Joy sits alongside sadness; laughter with longing. Our remembrance tree is there to say:
– Your person is remembered.
– Your grief is valid.
– You don’t have to carry it alone.
If you’d like to add a name or message, you’re more than welcome. You can come into our Marston Green or Tile Hill funeral home, write a tag and hang it on the tree yourself. Or you can follow the link below and fill in the form with your name, the name of your loved one and your message. We will write your tag, place it on the tree with care and send you a photo.
The funeral isn’t the end of our support
A funeral can bring a sense of structure and closure, but the grief that follows, that’s where people often need support the most.
And we want families to know this: our door is always open.
Whether it’s weeks, months, or years later, you’re always welcome to pop in for a cup of tea, a chat, or even just a quiet moment. There’s no time limit on missing someone.
Local bereavement support in Solihull & Coventry
For those who may need extra support, whether emotional, social, or simply the reassurance of sharing with people who understand, there are some incredible local grief groups:
Solihull
- Solihull Bereavement Counselling Service – Free, confidential support for adults.
- Solihull Macmillan Bereavement Group – Group support for those who have lost someone to cancer.
- Widowed and Young (WAY) Solihull Meet-Ups – Peer groups for anyone widowed under 50.
Coventry
- CRUSE Bereavement Support – Coventry & Warwickshire – One-to-one and group help.
- Coventry Bereavement Network – A hub connecting people to local, appropriate support.
- Carers Trust Heart of England Bereavement Group – Especially helpful if you were a carer for your loved one.
If you’re not sure where to start, just ask. We’re always happy to help signpost families to the right place.
This Grief Awareness Week, we remember with you.
To every person who has lost someone this year, and in years gone by, we send love, comfort, and strength.
To the families who trusted us during such vulnerable moments, thank you.
And to anyone grieving quietly, feeling a little lost, or wondering if their feelings are “normal”… you’re not alone. You are never alone.
We’re here, today, this week, and always.
