With a vision that every bereaved child and family in the UK gets the best help following their loss, Grief Encounter realised that the internet could make a huge difference to the support it offers.

The charity received an AOL Innovation in the Community Award in 2005 to make its website more child-friendly and interactive.

As its founder Shelley Gilbert says: "Our site is often the first port of call for young people who want to find out more about our services or contact us for advice. So we decided to develop an interactive version of our workbook, which encourages conversation between bereaved children and adults, and to offer email counselling."

The workbook takes children through the different stages of grief and encourages them to remember their loved one by writing stories and gathering photographs. Grief Encounter is also creating an area on the website where children will be able to light a virtual candle in memory of their special person.

For the many children who may feel isolated following the loss of a family member, being able to get sensitive email advice from the charity's counsellors can help them to make sense of what has happened to them and reassure them that they are not alone.

Shelley explains: "Grief is a very lonely place. The death of a parent can be a very complex process for a child and it can be difficult for the rest of their family to handle without guidance. We've found that the website is a focal point for young people to share their stories and connect with people in similar situations. In fact, we've had lots of emails from children saying how good it feels to talk about their experiences."

www.griefencounter.com