What is Edward’s Trust?

The death of a parent or a child brings a grief that is particularly intense and long lasting. As Edward’s Trust reaches its 21st anniversary, I thank Team 21 and their supporters for helping the Trust to continue their unique service to bereaved families.

• The one to one SUPPORTIVE CARE focuses on work with children and adults who are living with grief and sadness following the death of a parent or child. In 2010 the demand for this service was higher than ever before. The Trust received almost 400 new referrals and their highly trained counsellors attended 2,743 appointments. The Trust offers bereavement counselling at Edward’s Trust itself and through outreach work in schools.

• The COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY services the Trust provides helps to promote relaxation and reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, depression and stress which can so often accompany grief. In 2010 over 30 individuals recieved a 6 week programme of complementary therapy treatments which included Reflexology, Aromatherapy and Reiki. They also received extensive support with anxiety management and coping strategies.

• The OUTREACH PROJECTS supporting bereaved children in local schools continues to grow. Presently our Trust counsellors work in over 30 Primary and Secondary schools. This year they have attended 350 appointments whilst supporting 42 bereaved school children, aged as young as 4, within their own school environment.

• The Trust believes that providing TRAINING for other professionals is vital. The most requested initiative is the provision of child bereavement workshops for teachers and learning mentors. Teachers are often the first to notice that children are not coping with grief and a large proportion of referrals come via schools. Last year the Trust organised 4 in house training courses for both Primary and Secondary school staff with 24 attendees from 20 different schools. These workshops result in increased confidence within schools about dealing with grief and there is no doubt that in the long-term hundreds of children will benefit. Through the Trust’s bespoke training they reached 165 individuals from different professions.

• In addition, over the past year the Trust has held 2 RESPITE BEREAVEMENT CARE WEEKENDS during which participants had the opportunity to exchange with others in similar situations. These weekends were occasions which provided reassurance, relief and the chance to express feelings and emotions.