Perthshire Advertiser

25th anniversar­y of Gathering marked

Group was set up to support those who had lost a child

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STAFF REPORTER

Around 100 people met last month to mark the 25th anniversar­y of the founding in Perth of a support group for bereaved families who have lost a child.

The inaugural event was held in Perth in 1998 and the original hosts were Perth husband and wife Hugh and Maureen Mcaninch.

The gathering is part of The Compassion­ate Friends, a national charity which supports parents, grandparen­ts and siblings who have lost a child, grandchild, brother or sister.

Hugh said: “When we were asked to host the first Scottish Gathering, we felt truly honoured, but little did we know then, it was to become such an important part of our lives for the next 25 years.

“Lifelong friendship­s were forged with others who also had lost a child, sibling or grandchild. It was a time of sharing, a time of understand­ing, a time of mutual support, a time when it’s OK to say I’m not OK and a special time to remember our loved ones.

“Losing a child is a devastatin­g, and often lonely experience. Without our Compassion­ate Friends we would have been lost in a lonely world.”

Hugh and Maureen were instrument­al in the creation of The

Compassion­ate Friends Garden in Perth.

They were inspired to ask Beautiful Perth about a memorial to children after visiting such a garden in Ontario, Canada.

Beautiful Perth eventually gifted a site near the Riverside Gardens car park.

This year’s Scottish Gathering, at the Stirling Court Hotel, will acknowledg­e all those parents, grandparen­ts and siblings who have attended the Gathering since it was establishe­d in 1998.

As well as supporting each other, they will also record their thanks to a couple affected by the 1996 Dunblane tragedy, who donated £5000 which was used to initially fund the Scottish Gathering.

Coventry hospital chaplain, Canon Simon, founded TCF in 1969, bringing together two bereaved families to support each other.

It was decided to use the £5000 to establish an annual weekend retreat, called the Scottish Gathering, to provide a place for people who have lost a child to come together and support each other in Scotland.

This year Dr Mick North, whose daughter Sophie was among the victims of the Dunblane massacre, will be one of the keynote speakers along with Pam Ross, whose daughter Joanna also died in the tragedy.

During the weekend members of the gathering will visit Dunblane Cathedral and the Dunblane Centre to support one another.

The Scottish Gathering is run and funded entirely by volunteers who are bereaved parents themselves.

Some of the people involved from the start are still actively supporting it today.

Over the last 25 years parents, grandparen­ts and siblings have been welcomed over 1500 times, providing an invaluable support network at the weekend and setting up lifelong friendship­s up and down the country.

In addition to the annual events there are ongoing support groups and grief companions up and down the country, able to help people going through the most challengin­g and heart-breaking of circumstan­ces.

Losing a child is a devastatin­g, and often lonely experience.without our Compassion­ate Friends we would have been lost

 ?? ?? Support The inaugural event was held in Perth in 1998 and the original hosts were Perth husband and wife, Maureen and Hugh Mcaninch
Support The inaugural event was held in Perth in 1998 and the original hosts were Perth husband and wife, Maureen and Hugh Mcaninch

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