GRIEVING families will soon have access to specialist bereavement support through a new programme at St Helena Hospice.
The 'Chat with Charlie' programme, funded by the Charlie Watkins Foundation, will support children, young people, and their families as they navigate grief, helping them process emotions and connect with others facing similar experiences.
The programme is named after Charlie Watkins, whose mum, Sarah, was cared for by St Helena Hospice before she died of cancer when Charlie was nine.
Her death deeply affected his mental health, and in 2017, Charlie took his own life at the age of 22.
In his memory, Charlie's dad Tim and twin brother, Harry, launched the Charlie Watkins Foundation to support young people struggling with mental health and wellbeing.
Tim said: "The impact of losing his mum at nine years old stayed with Charlie throughout his life, and as a family we know first-hand how deeply bereavement can affect children and young people.
"Through our own experiences, we’ve learned how important it is to have the right support at the right time, and how powerful it can be to connect with people who truly understand what you’re going through.
"While we cannot change what happened to Charlie, we can honour his memory by helping other families facing the challenges of grief and loss."
The new programme will offer a supportive environment where families can share experiences and receive guidance.
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Children and young people will be able to take part in creative activities such as making memory boxes, sharing stories, and using art to explore their feelings.
Parents will have the opportunity to meet others in similar situations, while specialist staff will be on hand to help families process their grief and support the emotional wellbeing of children.
Alison Gray, director of care at St Helena Hospice, said: "We are so grateful to the Charlie Watkins Foundation for funding our new programme to support families through loss and grief.
"Bringing families together who are going through similar experiences can help them feel less alone."
Chat with Charlie will launch later this year for referred families.
More information on bereavement support is available at sthelena.org.uk/bereavement.
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