How You Can Support a Vital Charity with a Snowdrop Walk
A Child Bereavement UK Snowdrop Walk will be held in the stunning surroundings of Hardwick Park in Sedgefield
Child Bereavement UK helps families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies. The charity supports children and young people (up to the age of 25) when someone important to them has died or is not expected to live, and parents and the wider family when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying.
They also provide training to professionals in health and social care, education, and the voluntary and corporate sectors, equipping them to provide the best possible care to bereaved families.
The Snowdrop Walk is a day to remember babies and children who have died and children who are bereaved each year. During the walk, people will be able to plant a snowdrop in memory of someone special while taking in the beautiful views.
One of these Snowdrop Walk events will be running from 12–3pm on Sunday 26th February at Hardwick Park. Entry is free however donations are welcome, individual snowdrops will be on sale and a book of remembrance, donated by a bereaved family, will be available to sign. There will also be children’s art and craft activities available in the Visitor Centre.
'By planting a snowdrop in memory of a loved one, you will be helping Child Bereavement UK support bereaved families and children to rebuild their lives after the devastation of child bereavement'
Alan Titchmarsh, a patron of Child Bereavement UK, supports the charity’s Snowdrop Walks which are held across the country. He says: ‘Please support Child Bereavement UK’s Snowdrop Walk. It’s a lovely way to shake off the cobwebs and enjoy the fresh air. By planting a snowdrop in memory of a loved one, you will be helping Child Bereavement UK support bereaved families and children to rebuild their lives after the devastation of child bereavement.’
If you would like to start a snowdrop walk in your local area, Child Bereavement UK offer a downloadable snowdrop walk event guide and remembrance pack, featuring expert advice on planting snowdrops from Alan, as well as a guide to how to host your own event and ideas for ways in which to remember someone special to you.
For more information call 01494 568912 or visit www.childbereavementuk.org.
Every child is unique and will cope with the death of someone important in their own way. There is no magic formula but things that help include:
• Clear, honest and age-appropriate information
• Reassurance that they are not to blame and that different feelings are okay
• Normal routines and a clear demonstration that important adults are there for them
• Time to talk about what has happened, ask questions and build memories
• Being listened to and given time to grieve in their own way
There are also bereavement charities that offer helplines, email support, and online communities and message boards for children. These include:
Child Bereavement UK – call 0800 028 8840 or email helpline@childbereavement.org
Cruse Bereavement Care – call 0808 808 1677
Grief Encounter – call 0808 802 0111 or email contact@griefencounter.org.uk
Hope Again – call 0808 808 1677 or email hopeagain@cruse.org.uk
Winston’s Wish – call 0808 802 0021 or email ask@winstonswish.org
