Georgia Harris lost her husband, Dale, on 12 January 2026, leaving their young children without their dad. She has now founded North Star, a community for children aged 4 to 16 who have lost a parent, and for the parents and carers raising them.
“I want North Star to be the place I wished existed for us,” said Georgia. “A place where children don’t have to explain, where parents don’t have to pretend they’re okay, and where nobody is expected to move on.”
Rather than traditional talking groups, North Star will offer peer groups, creative activities, days out, one-to-one support and signposting. Bereaved children will have the chance to meet others who understand and simply be children.
Sessions will be run in schools and community venues across Oldham, with plans to work with local schools, Northern Roots and community centres. North Star also aims to partner with funeral directors, charities and health services to reach families early.
In the longer term, North Star aims to open a permanent base in Oldham: a safe, welcoming space where bereaved children and their parents and carers can meet, find support and build lasting friendships.
The need is greater than many realise. According to the Childhood Bereavement Network, a parent of dependent children dies in the UK every 20 minutes, and around 127 children are bereaved of a parent every day. Roughly one child in every classroom has lost a parent or sibling, and one in 20 young people will have lost a parent by the age of 16.
Around a third of bereaved children go on to experience serious emotional or behavioural difficulties within two years. Yet no official record is kept of how many children are bereaved, so many go unnoticed.
North Star is being registered as a Community Interest Company. Schools, organisations and families who would like to get involved can find out more at www.northstarcbs.org.
