Bereaved families at milestone meeting

Around 100 people will meet in Stirling to mark the 25th anniversary of the founding of a support group for bereaved families who have lost a child.

This year’s Scottish Gathering, to be held this weekend 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.

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.

Coventry hospital chaplain Canon Simon founded it 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.

The first event was held in Perth in 1998 and it has run every year since.

The original hosts were Hugh Mcaninch and his wife Maureen, from Perth.

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.”

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.