Community Activities
An official launch of The Teenage Youth Bereavement Project, The Promise of Hope, took place on 18/04/23 in Stormont Buildings.
To further disseminate the video support resources for young people who are bereaved, Lisa Hutchinson, Funeral Arranger at James Brown & Sons, Dunmurry organised an event to raise awareness. Representatives from Cruse Bereavement Support co-facilitated the event.
The event took place on Mon 13 November at Dunmurry Community Centre.
Professionals who work with young people were invited which included schools, churches, children & young people’s services, community groups, crises and counselling services and politicians.
A member of Cruse delivered a presentation on the effects grief has on children and young people and attendees took part in an interactive learning activity.
Three young people shared their experiences of bereavement and provided valuable insights into what makes a good grief ally, coping around birthdays and anniversaries, and what support is helpful at school or college. Attendees also watched a short film about the resources available.
A supply of bereavement packs was given out to take away which can be given to a young person who is bereaved. Scanning the QR code on the front of the envelope will take the young person to the James Brown & Sons website where they can watch the video support resources for bereaved young people.
Feedback from attendees was very positive, with many highlighting the value of hearing directly from the young people about their experiences and the support they say is helpful in supporting them on their grief journey.
It is hoped this awareness raising event can be rolled out across other branches across Northern Ireland in the future.