Children & Bereavement

As an adult I find the subject of loss and bereavement difficult to discuss with others or on-line & even more so to put it down in words. It is one of those very personal subjects and it is hard to know how to approach it when someone has lost a person close to them. How do you acknowledge their bereavement? A card? A phone call? In person? On-line? Do you talk about the dead person; and for how long do you continue to mention them? How long should one stay in this 'grief' period? These and many other questions have cropped up whenever there has been a bereavement in my own circle. I am aware that people's responses will be as individual as they are.

If I as an adult have problems discussing bereavement then imagine what it must be like for a young child to loss a sibling, parent/s or friend. At such difficult times 'Nelson's Journey' have come to the rescue to help some children cope with their grief & thankfully has helped many young children come to terms with their loss.

I am supporting an event on Sunday 16^th August, at the Silver Room, Norwich to draw attention to this valuable charity and raise funds for it.

The following information was sent by the Organisation:-

”Nelson’s Journey is a Norfolk charity supporting children and young people, up to their 18^th birthday, who have experienced the death of a significant person in their life e.g. parent, sibling, best friend etc. Our vision is to give every bereaved child in Norfolk the support they need to move forward positively with their lives, never having to cope with their loss alone. We know offering the right help at the right time gives them the best chance of avoiding long-term mental and emotional health issues, which can lead to educational problems, drug and alcohol abuse and law-breaking. We understand too that coming to terms with their loss often means dealing with anger, bottled-up feelings and confusion as well as grief, particularly when their love one’s death was sudden, unexpected or the result of suicide. Our 1:1 sessions, therapeutic weekends, activity days and NJ Clubs offer support tailored to each child’s needs and circumstances, and our guidance gives parents and carers the tools they need to support them. Nelson’s Journey endeavours to ‘Bring back smiles to bereaved children’. During 2014 we received 598 referrals, a rise of 18% on the previous year.”