Getting intu helping others
CHARITY THAT HELPS CHILDREN DEAL WITH BEREAVEMENT CHOSEN BY CENTRE
HILLINGDON-BASED charity the HALO Children’s Foundation has been announced as intu Uxbridge’s nominated charity partner for 2018.
Halo Children’s Foundation was established in 2016, and supports children and their families in the area after the loss of a loved one, providing a range of services to guide families through their grief.
Alia Jones, founder of Halo Children’s Foundation said: “The death of a loved one, especially a parent, is one of the most life changing events a child will ever face.
“Halo was set up to make sure there is someone for bereaved children to turn to, and to give guidance to those around them to support their need to make sense of the death and go on to rebuild their lives.
“Our vision is that no family will grieve alone, and it is our mission to make sure that with our help, those families can find quality of life after loss.”
She continued: “We are delighted to be chosen as intu Uxbridge’s chosen charity to support this year. The partnership is a wonderful opportunity for us to raise our profile and reach out to more families that need our support.
“As a small and very local charity that relies on much needed donations, this partnership with intu will help us raise funds to help more families in the community with grief and loss.”
Natasha House, marketing manager at intu Uxbridge added: “We are so pleased to be working with Halo this year and look forward to helping raise both awareness and funds.
“We hope our customers will be as generous towards Halo as they have been in the past two years with Rainbow Trust and CRY, and as a team we are very much looking forward to supporting Alia in fulfilling her mission to provide this much-needed support group.”
The charity support children who are dealing with bereavement in many different ways, including a monthly group session which provides an opportunity for parent and carers to meet with others whilst children get involved in creative and expressive arts, play and make friends with other children dealing with the same loss.
Donations go towards running the group and funding trips for families to create new memories together. Future plans include a dedicated play centre and garden.
intu Uxbridge worked with Rainbow Trust and CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) to raise funds and awareness in 2016 & 2017, during which time gen- erous shoppers helped raise just over £30,000, split between the two charities.
Team members at intu Uxbridge also contributed a total of 10 volunteer days for the Rainbow Trust, arranging and fully funding a trip to Port Lympne Zoo, with gifts for the children.
Seven days volunteering were provided for CRY, five being help and assistance at the CRY Bridges Walk in London and two days taking part in the London to Paris Bike Ride.
For details of charity events and activities at intu Uxbridge, visit intu. co.uk/Uxbridge.