Bolton Hospice has launched a toolkit that aims to help teenagers talk about their emotions while they’re dealing with a bereavement.
In November 2018 Bolton Hospice received a Dying Matters Award that recognised the impact of their education course ‘Supporting Families and Children through Loss, Grief and Bereavement’, which was held during Dying Matters Awareness Week in May 2018, and was aimed at staff in local schools and nurseries.
The course covered having open conversations around death and dying, and allowed for school staff to learn how they can support the children and families they work with during bereavement. With the course, the hospice aimed to improve the experience of children and families dealing with bereavement, providing awareness, knowledge and skills to identified groups of staff from the education community. The training offered an opportunity to discuss, reflect and share ideas and experiences in a safe and confidential environment.
As a result of the award-winning course, Bolton Hospice applied for further funding and received a £17,500 grant from the Masonic Charitable Foundation via East Lancashire Freemasons.
The grant has enabled the education team to develop specialist training for local teachers to support teenagers going through a bereavement. The training will help to improve the experience of teenagers dealing with loss, grief and bereavement, providing school staff with the knowledge and skills they need to support young people through their bereavement journey.
The toolkit provides accessible resources to create opportunities for teenagers to talk about their feelings, create memories and offer support with regards to self-care, enhancing their overall wellbeing. The education team at Bolton Hospice are also delivering training days for students in local high schools.
Jenny Gallagher, Clinical Nurse Director at Bolton Hospice said: “We’re very grateful to East Lancashire Freemasons for their generous grant which will allow us to train and educate local teachers to support pupils who have lost a parent or other close member of their family.
“There is a very limited amount of support available currently for young people coping with loss and bereavement; having the means to continue to deliver services which help to support the professionals who are in such close contact with these young people during their journey is extremely important, and means that the grieving process can be a healthy one during the already highly challenging and emotionally charged stage of life which is adolescence.”
Steve Clark from East Lancashire Freemasons, said: “Bolton Hospice are doing wonderful work helping young people in our community. It’s a great privilege to be able to help them provide support for teenagers at what is the most difficult time of their young lives.”
For more information visit Bolton Hospice
An information day for people planning a Dying Matters event next year takes place on January 22, for more information visit Dying Matters Awareness Week 2020
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