Luke Alfano was 21 when his father died, two weeks after a cancer diagnosis. Five years later he founded Too Young to Grieve, a community where people aged 18 to 35 who have lost someone can meet in person through walks, hikes, pottery painting and football.
The group now runs in more than 20 locations, including London, Manchester, the US and Australia, and has just opened in Belfast. Chris Guiller, whose father died at 57, runs the Belfast branch and says it helps people know that what they feel is normal.
Katherine Macauley, 32, lost her fiancé in an accident at work two days before Christmas last year. She says the group brings together people in similar situations who can comfort and learn from each other. Alfano would like grief support to be better signposted in schools and universities.
