Yesterday I spoke 'virtually' to Simon Wright (Chief Executive) and Debbie Winteringham (Child Bereavement Services Manager) from the amazing Broadland charity, Nelson's Journey.
The charity provides support for children and young people who have been bereaved. When someone close to a young person dies, it can be difficult to know what to do to support them, and this is where Nelson's Journey comes in:
- Telephone and face-to-face appointments with child bereavement support workers
- Group activities to enable children and young people to meet others in similar circumstances
- Bereavement awareness training for professionals working with young people
It doesn't matter whether the bereavement is recent or happened long ago - Nelson's Journey is there to help and provide support, at no cost to families.
Simon spoke about the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the charity's fundraising. Whether it's people running in the London Marathon to raise funds for Nelson's Journey, or a programme of local events, everything planned for 2020 has had to be cancelled owing to the lockdown and tier restrictions in place to keep us all safe from Covid. As the charity approaches its 25th anniversary (in 2022), it has ambitious plans - including the recruitment of a new Funding & Marketing Manager who will help Nelson's Journey to recover from the impacts of 2020 and develop its programme of activities still further.
If you are a parent or carer of a recently bereaved young person - or a professional who teaches or cares for them - do consider contacting Nelson's Journey to ask for support: 01603 431788 or via https://nelsonsjourney.org.uk/contact-us/.
If you can help the charity with a donation towards their incredibly vital and worthwhile work this Christmas, you can give here.
It was a real privilege to talk to these incredible people and find out more about their work. The positive effect they are able to have on those young people who need their help is both moving and profound.
