Meet the Team.

Bereavement is not a mental health issue. Grief is a normal human response to loss, and we need to be prepared to safeguard our staff

Our Services

Workplace Bereavement was founded in early 2023 by Jacqueline Gunn after the untimely death of her father. She felt there was a lack of support for employees during this life changing, inevitable time. Get to know the heart and soul behind our work – meet the exceptional individuals that make up our team. United by passion, creativity, and a shared commitment, we bring diverse talents together to drive innovation and success. Explore the faces and stories that shape our workplace, where collaboration thrives, and every team member contributes to our journey.

Jacqueline Gunn

Founder, Director, Developer

Founder

More about Jacqueline

Jacqueline Gunn is the founder and CEO of Workplace Bereavement Advocacy which launched in 2023. Jacqui is also the founder and chairperson of Talking about Loss, a bereavement charity set up in 2019 after the death of her father. Jacqui felt very isolated after her father’s funeral and wondered where she was to go to get support and be with like-minded people who knew what she was going through. Jacqui openly talks about her depression and how she felt if she didn’t do something positive, she would sink into a deeper dark depression. After heading back into work two days after losing her father, Jacqui still can remember how she felt driving back into work, the pressure and anxiety, even though she had a very supportive boss and work colleague. She soon found out this wasn’t the case for many bereaved people, thus making her determined to develop a programme to train people from organisations to become bereavement advocates. On the fourth-year anniversary for TAL Workplace Bereavement Advocacy was launched and has been very well received. Grief is a lonely place, and Jacqui is determined to change how we talk about grief, Jacqui says “one thing we all have in common is we will all lose someone we love; we need to break down these barriers “.

Harriet Lawson

Operations Manager

BSc (Hons) | MSc

More about Harriet

Having worked in the property industry for the last 4 years, Harriet is now embracing the new role of Operations Manager at Workplace Bereavement. Harriet has a MSc in Commercial Real Estate and a BSc in Business. Country sports and horse riding are two of her most passionate hobbies. Harriet is an extremely dedicated and enthusiastic person who is highly self-motivated to achieve goals in both her business and personal lives. Harriet is an effective communicator and prides herself on her approachability and friendly manner.

Clare Gunn

Lead Trainer, Developer

BSc (Hons) | QTS

More about Clare

Clare is an experienced qualified teacher, with a BA (Hons) QTS. Having also worked for over 20 years as a dedicated Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, she holds a certificate in Advanced Educational Studies in The Teaching of Children with Special Educational Needs. Clare is currently embracing the role of lead trainer for WPBA, equipping adults with the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding that enables them to address the unspoken need of bereaved colleagues, children and young people within their workplace, school or other setting. Drawing on her own personal and professional experience of adult and child bereavement, Clare is highly driven by the positive impact that the training has on so many individuals and organisations. Beyond her role as a trainer, Clare enjoys regular early morning runs, exploring and visiting new places and spending time walking in the countryside with her energetic and much-loved Black Labrador.

Benefits of Training

Invest in your business by investing in your workforce. The wellbeing of your workforce is important for success, a bereavement advocate complements this

Decrease staff turnover and recruitment costs by supporting your current bereaved employees
Counselling support for your bereaved employees is available through Workplace Bereavement