The work of the Children’s Bereavement Centre throughout Nottinghamshire was outlined to members of Bingham Business Club at their February meeting.
The centre’s corporate and community engagement officer, Caz Froggatt, gave a breakdown of the number of children that had been helped by the Newark-based charity in the last year. Of more than 700 children supported, 188 had lost fathers, 128 had lost mothers and 13 had had multiple losses. Cancer had been the cause of death in 146 cases, sudden death in 96 cases, and suicide in 68 cases. Ten deaths had been due to murder. About half the children helped were under ten, and half aged from 11 to 17.
The charity holds sessions in Bingham Children’s Centre each week, which have helped more than 30 children in the past year. Caz showed business club members some of the practical props used to help children coming to terms with grief, including cuddle bears, worry monsters, and books about bereavement.
People can refer themselves to the centre for help, or be referred by outside agencies, such as a GP or school. The services offered are free, which means the charity relies on donations, grants and trusts to meet its costs.
“We do not think anyone should have to pay for our services,” Caz said.
After Caz’s talk, Paul Zemontas from the Advertiser Media Group volunteered to run Newark Half-Marathon in aid of the charity this summer.
In other news, club chairman Jonathan Hammond announced that his company, Hammond Property Services, would be marking its 30th (pearl) anniversary by raising money throughout the year to sponsor a Guide Dogs for the Blind puppy called Pearl.
As part of the anniversary, the Hammond Property Services building in Market Street, Bingham, is being renovated and extended, and a time capsule will be buried in the floor. A photograph will be taken in Bingham Market Place of as many Bingham residents and business people as possible, to be included in the time capsule. Jonathan urged anyone that could make it to go along to be included – the date for the photograph had to be postponed due the bad weather, a new date is to be confirmed. Check out Hammonds Property Services facebook page for further information.
The picture will be taken by Malcolm Sales from Buttercross Photography.
The next club meeting is on Tuesday, March 20.
Copy provided by Advertiser Media Group www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk
Images provide by Buttercross Photography www.buttercrossphotography.co.uk