First ever Bereaved Parents Pilgrimage starts in Lewes: three-day trek to carry loved ones’ names in remembrance

The first ever Bereaved Parents Pilgrimage will begin in Lewes and end up in Cuckmere Haven, taking place from Friday, May 31, to Sunday, June 2.

Helena Grace from Brighton came up with this modern take on an ancient practice after discovering the benefits of being active in the wild following the loss of her 23-year-old son Matthew in 2022.

Visit britishpilgrimage.org to find out more or submit the name of a lost loved one for the pilgrims to carry in remembrance.

Helena said: “I have found that it is only in the vast magnificence of nature, whether in the sea or walking in a beautiful landscape, that grief becomes almost bearable. Grief isolates us, changes our identity, undermines our confidence and leaves us struggling to parent our other children. I felt that I needed to be outside and moving. This year I am walking 100 miles, pushing myself to make a journey I know my son would be proud of me for. I’m welcoming other bereaved parents to join me on the last three days, to create a supportive community of people, remembering their loved ones through activity in nature.”

Polegate crash – 15-year-old in hospital with serious injuries

The journey begins in Lewes and takes the long route to Cuckmere Haven. Locations on the route include: Lewes Priory, Mount Caburn, the churches of BBC presenter and priest Peter Owen-Jones, the Bloomsbury murals in Berwick, the Long Man of Wilmington and the Cuckmere valley. Organisers said they hope the walk helps parents build strong and supportive relationships with each other.

Organisers said they come from ‘a mix of backgrounds and beliefs’, adding that the pilgrims will be guided by Dawn Champion from the British Pilgrimage Trust (who grew up in Burwash), as well as Julia Sands of Ipse Wilderness.

A spokesperson said: “Between them they bring a range of sensory and therapeutic practices to deepen the experience of the pilgrims and help find new ways of living with their grief. They will be greeted by friends and family near the magnificent Seven Sisters where the pilgrims will go for a dip in the sea to mark the end of their pilgrimage. Members of the public who have lost loved ones of their own, or who simply wish to support the journey can register a ‘Carry My Loved One’ request for someone to make the journey on their behalf. For a small donation the guides will carry the names of any loved one along the journey, and remember them in an honouring ceremony at the end of the journey. Funds raised will help to cover the costs of the journey and provide free resources to pilgrims.”

Helena Grace is the founder of a local wild swimming group Salty Sea Warriors. Dawn Champion is a historian, naturalist and pilgrim who works as head of community for the British Pilgrimage Trust. Julia Sands is a facilitator of therapeutic wilderness adventures and the founder of Ipse Wilderness.