CONNECT. SUPPORT. EMPOWER
ONE MISSION — TWO PROGRAMS
empowerHER UK is a charity with a very specific mission — to empower, support, and connect girls and young women who have experienced the loss of a mother.
We provide in-person events that remind girls they are not alone in their grief, and a unique one-on-one mentor program with positive role models from the community who help show loss is survivable.
empowerHER UK programs are non-therapeutic, community-based, and volunteer-driven and remain at no charge to the family.
“It changed my outlook on everything. In school, losing your mum defines you — you become the girl whose mum passed away. But, I’ve learned that’s not what defines you, it’s the strength you gain and how you handle adversity.”
— LENA, AGE 17
GET STARTED
We have built this global community to help remind everyone that they are not alone in their grief.
We see you. We hear you.
Today, enrollment is open for girls and young women through age 24 who have experienced the loss of a mother.
Enrollment is simple + free. Children under age 14 must be enrolled by an adult while children and young adults, age 14 - 24 may enroll themselves. ENROLL TODAY
“When a child loses a parent, the loss doesn't end there. Beyond initial grief, it becomes an ongoing challenge to navigate adolescence and to know how to transition into adulthood without that additional parental guidance. As mentors in the eH UK program, we are given the unique opportunity to serve as a reminder to girls that they are not alone in their grief.”
—empowerHER Mentor
EVENTS
empowerHER UK will bring hope + optimism to London this Spring with magical displays of personalised luminary bags IN HONOUR OF or IN MEMORY OF loved ones. LUMINARIA raises critical operating funds and awareness of empowerHER UK to help reach the families who would benefit from our programs.
2024 LUMINARIA
2024 empowerHER UK Mother's Day Retreat
The empowerHER UK Annual Mother’s Day Retreat is our flagship event, and will be held in person in London this Mother’s Day, 10th March 2024. Brave, beautiful souls will join in-person for connection, healing + fun, while being reminded they are not alone in their grief!
A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER:
Founder + CEO, Cara Belvin
It’s OK to talk about loss.
At empowerHER UK we know that talking about loss can be uncomfortable. But we also know it's uncomfortable to pretend the loss didn't happen at all.
So, what is the best way to talk about loss? We won't pretend to have all the answers. Instead, I want to share a simple gesture that made all the difference to me: “When I was 9 years old my mom died. No one knew how to talk about it, so no one did. Except my neighbor Sam…
Sam didn't know what to say and was afraid to say the wrong thing. So on Mother's Day, when I was in the 5th grade, she gave me Blow Pops, my very favorite treat!
It was that simple - she handed me a bag of Blow Pops and that was that. She didn't talk about my mom and neither did I. To me, the Blow Pops said, "I'm here if you need a friend or if you need to talk."
Sam was very brave and the thing is, Sam didn't need to be afraid because she could never say the wrong thing if she said it out of love.
And, do you know what? She gave me Blow Pops every Mother's Day for the next ten years! It was the greatest source of comfort for me. And Sam and I are still the best of friends today.
Cara frequently presents on issues surrounding adversity, women’s empowerment, and social entrepreneurship. As the founder of the only nonprofit in the world dedicated to girls of mother loss, Cara’s efforts have been featured on the Today Show, CNN, ABC, PBS NewsHour with Judy Woodruff, in Parent's Magazine and more.
Interested in reaching out? Feel free to contact Cara by email.
