6th July 2026
A beautiful new artwork created through the Seasons of Life project was unveiled at St Patrick’s High School, Keady, just before students broke up for the summer holidays.
Seasons of Life is a co-designed quality improvement project that supports young people who have experienced bereavement and loss. The initiative was recognised as the overall winner of the 2025 Picker Experience Network Awards.
The Seasons of Life workshops are delivered in post-primary schools by a multi-disciplinary team comprising specialist school nurses, paediatric psychology services, the Southern Trust Bereavement Co-ordinator and Cruse Bereavement Support Services.
Using art and storytelling, the workshops encourage young people to recognise the signs of grief and explore healthy ways of coping with their feelings and experiences. Participants are also signposted to additional support services and can access one-to-one support where required.
Since being piloted during Children’s Grief Awareness Week in November 2023, the programme has supported 96 young people aged 11–18 across five schools in the Dungannon, Keady, Newry and Craigavon areas.
Young people from St Patrick’s High School worked alongside Arts Care artist Jill McKeown and Seasons of Life Project Co-ordinator Michelle Mooney to explore and express their experiences through the artwork.
Mrs Kelley McKenna, Principal and Mrs Glennis Doherty, Vice Principal for St. Patrick’s High School explained: “The Seasons of Life project has been a very powerful and enriching experience for our young people. The final artwork is a beautiful celebration of the work, reflection and growth that took place, and it will remain a lasting legacy for our pupils, the school community and all who were involved.”
Creating the artwork allowed the young people to reflect on and visualise their emotions. The tree represents growth, loss and renewal while the heart symbolises the importance of connection and support.
Dr Sinead Hannan Assistant Head of Psychology Services, Clinical and Occupational Health for Southern Trust explains: “Grief is a natural response to loss which can affect every aspect of a young person’s life, physically, emotionally, and socially. Bereavement, especially during childhood, plays a significant role in shaping wellbeing. One in 29 children aged five to sixteen has experienced the death of a parent or sibling, equivalent to roughly one child in every classroom.
“Seasons of Life provides a supportive space for young people to explore their grief through a collaborative approach involving health services, education, and the voluntary sector. Young people are encouraged to share their stories with both professionals and peers who understand their experience. Our goal is to empower them to actively engage in their grief journey, develop healthy ways to cope with their emotions, and access timely support, helping to prevent more complex needs from arising later on.
Michelle Mooney, Seasons of Life Co-ordinator for the Southern Trust added: “Most young people will not need professional help to cope with grief if supported sensitively by family, friends, school or community networks. However, some issues stemming from unaddressed grief can sadly escalate to a crisis point. Seasons of Life helps us proactively reach young people at a much earlier stage and offer intervention if needed. All schools involved have thoroughly embraced the programme, developing bereavement policies, training staff and setting up peer support groups to support the wellbeing of their young people at the heart of their educational journey.”
Seasons of Life was established as a pilot project, and opportunities to secure recurrent funding to support its future development are currently being explored.
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