Introducing the Regional Development Project

How lovely to have a blogspot!  And thanks, Steve, for the Scottish update.  As the blog is fairly new, I thought readers might like some background to these Child Bereavement UK projects.  Last year, with DH funding, we commenced a three-year project to enhance bereavement support initiatives in six of England’s more deprived areas.  This has led us to Hull, Hackney, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Newham and Stoke, meeting with other voluntary organisations, schools, health practitioners, MP’s, and more. We’re already improving signposting to services and liaison between various agencies through the Advisory Groups and the seminars we've held.

September 2013 saw us celebrating the first year of the England project, as well as the commencement of the Scottish project.

L-R: Ann Rowland, Director of Bereavement Services; Rich Stafford, Localities Development Co-ordinator (North); Shirley Potts, Director of Regional Development; Ann Chalmers, CEO Child Bereavement UK; Liz Morgan, Localities Development Co-ordinator (South) 

In the last couple of weeks we held conferences in Hull and Stoke, mostly aimed at education folk and partnering a local charity in each area, and Liz has been busy supporting a CHYPS programme at Richard House Children’s Hospice in Newham.  We are so grateful for the contacts we’ve been able to develop in each of our areas – we’ve met some great people who share our passion for raising awareness about bereavement support. Next week Rich and I are in Middlesbrough for four days and look forward to forging more relationships there – but more about that next time we blog!

Shirley Potts

News from the Scotland team

Last week the Scotland team attended the ‘Good Life Good Death Good Grief’ event in Edinburgh which was brilliant. There was a mix of presentations, drama, singing and yes ‘drinking’ to toast those who are departed. The idea of the day was to inspire everyone to go back to their work and home environments and have conversations about life, death and grief. I visited the ‘One wild life room’ where I was interviewed to determine what I would like to change to make my life more meaningful with the time I have left. Since no one knows when they will die it might make sense to focus on certain priorities. I am going to try and spin less plates and take more time to smell the roses.

The Scotland team has reached its first 3 month mark of existence and so far we have made fairly good inroads to achieving our intended outcomes. We have set up an advisory group in Dundee, provided training for over a hundred staff,  formed working partnerships and are beginning to just about feel as if we are actually doing some ‘work’, although this may never truly happen until we have successfully held our Scottish conference in 2015 where we can look back and see where we have been and what we have truly accomplished.

Welcome to our blog

Welcome to the Child Bereavement UK blog.  We'll be adding information here about what we're doing across the UK, updates on our training and fundraising events, news from our supporters and useful resources for professionals.

We hope you find it useful and interesting - and don't forget to tell your friends and colleagues to follow us too!