Enriched by Hope
Supporting children and young people who have lost loved ones
WHAT IS RICHMOND’S HOPE?
Richmond's Hope supports children and young people from the age of four to eighteen who have been bereaved. It uses therapeutic play and specialised grief activities to help children understand how the death has impacted them. It gives children a safe place to preserve memories of the person that died, explore their feelings and develop coping strategies for their own future.
The service was established in Richmond Craigmillar Church, Edinburgh, 18 years ago in response to a need within the local community and since then the charity has grown to support approximately 272 children a year in Edinburgh, the Lothians and the West of Scotland. Its Glasgow Office launched in Ibrox Parish Church, Glasgow, in August 2016 and employs three staff.
WHAT ARE THE CHARITY’S GOALS?
Richmond's Hope supports bereaved children and young people between the ages of 4 and 18. At the heart of Richmond's Hope's programme of support are specialised grief activities and therapeutic play which helps bereaved children & young people improve their mental health & well being by working out their grief through verbal and non-verbal ways. They also offer support to the families of children who attend Richmond's Hope.
Children who come to Richmond's Hope are supported by dedicated specialist bereavement support workers for 40 minutes once a week for an average of 12 sessions. All the services and sessions are free and they operate an open referral system.
WHY IS THE CHARITY’S WORK IMPORTANT?
It is an alarming fact that 1 in 29 children under the age of 16 are bereaved of a parent or sibling – that's nearly 1 in every school class.
“At Richmond's Hope, we recognise that every child's grief is different and there's no ‘one size fits all', so we support bereaved children to manage the challenges that can come along with grief. Richmond's Hope therapeutic play and face to face session work offers children a way to express conflicts and painful experiences.
“Over the past year, we've seen a huge increase in demand for our services. Some of the children we see have experienced extremely challenging situations in their young lives. Covid-19 and isolation have really magnified the impact of bereavement and reduced the access of children and young people to their regular coping strategies - such as friends, family and routine. Richmond's Hope uses therapeutic play and specialised grief activities as a way to help children preserve memories, identify feelings and develop personalised coping strategies.”
HOW CAN PEOPLE HELP OUT?
Richmond's Hope relies on public donations and individuals volunteering, organising and taking part in fundraising events in aid of Richmond's Hope. There are a variety of ways in which you can get involved, support or donate money to Richmond's Hope.
As a small charity, every amount that
Richmond's Hope receives goes a very long way in supporting bereaved children. Your support will really make a difference and help provide life-changing support to bereaved children and young people, when they need it most.
You can donate online at www.richmondshope. org.uk/ways-to-donate and help us be there for bereaved children & young people when they need it most.
If you are interested in volunteering or taking part in a fundraising event for Richmond’s Hope email Kelley at edinburgh@ richmondshope.org.uk
You can follow Richmond’s Hope at... Facebook: RichmondsHope1 Twitter: @Richmond’sHope1 Instagram: richmondshope