A woman from Cranfield has launched a grief support group that uses creativity to help people express their feelings through art.
Mel Robinson has been supporting people experiencing grief since 2020, when she set up a YouTube channel to share her own story and experiences of dealing with the death of a loved one.
Read: Stewartby woman launches YouTube channel to help others deal with trauma
After losing her own parents as a young child, Mel was brought up in foster care. In her 20s, the tables were turned when Mel ended up caring for her foster mum following a diagnosis with lung cancer.
“Her mum had been diagnosed with the same cancer, and we lost them both within four days of each other,” Mel told the Bedford Independent in 2020.
“I then went on to lose my half-brother just two months later.”
“I’m just a human”
Drawing on her own experiences and following the success of her YouTube channel, Mel launched the grief support group, Echoes of the Soul, in February 2025.
Using art activities, the group sessions give people the chance to express themselves without needing to find the words.
“I’m trying to create a space to help people navigate their own grief and to normalise conversations around the subject as it’s still taboo,” said Mel.
“I’m not a therapist or a mental health professional, I’m just a human with lived experience.
“I’ve found creativity very beneficial to me while processing my own grief, and the feedback I’ve had following the workshops has been wonderful.”
Positivity from trauma
Mel stressed that there was no pressure to share with the group at the sessions, but said that because she makes herself vulnerable by telling her own story, it empowers other people to open up too.
One attendee said, “The atmosphere was lovely and welcoming. I felt comfortable to be with whatever emotions were present.”
Mel has run several sessions at Corner 5 in Bromham and is launching new events in Cranfield and Milton Keynes. She’s very keen to encourage men to come along to the group and is hoping to collaborate with Bedford’s Man Cave to work with their members.
She is also keen to speak to venues that could host events, and also volunteers who could help support sessions or attend as a guest speaker.
“I’m trying to make something positive out of the trauma I’ve experienced,” said Mel.
“I want to use this platform to help other people navigate their grief, and I want people to know that they are not alone, there is hope, and there is a future.”
You can follow Echoes of the Soul Grief Support Group on Instagram here, where you can find out about forthcoming events and how to get involved.
