If there’s one thing this past year has shown us, it’s that family is very important to us, whether we’ve physically been able to see them or used zoom to connect with them. Maybe your family is crazy, unconventional, loud or totally conventional, but our families are ours and make up a huge part of who we are. So, I hope that now restrictions are being lifted you have been able to see and connect with your families more.
There are all kinds of family….adoptive families, step families, blended families, extended families, foster families and many more but whatever kind of family, Phase Trust can help and support them. We believe that families are key and for that reason we come alongside them and offer a listening ear, perhaps some guidance in parenting skills or bereavement support, or maybe some practical support through food parcels.
As adults, we are children’s role models; they watch us and learn how to ‘do life.’ It’s our privilege to help them grow into strong confident adults themselves, but sometimes parenting can be tough and we need to ask for help ourselves. Asking for help can be the first step in acknowledging we are not alone and that there are people out there, like Phase Trust, who can help and support both us as adults and our children. This could be practical help, emotional support or help through the journey of grief.
‘A parent of children under 18 dies every 22 minutes in the UK; around 23,600 a year. This equates to around 111 children being bereaved of a parent every day.’
‘One in twenty-nine 5-16 year olds has been bereaved of a parent or sibling – that’s a child in every average class.’
– Child Bereavement UK.
These statistics are scary and saddening but help and support is out there, and there are numerous agencies and charities that can help including us at Phase Trust. Grief is not a quick fix, and a person doesn’t just ‘get over it’. I know this from my own personal journey with grief and loss, which is why we are here for as long as a child or family needs us on the journey. We are here to listen, to encourage them to ask questions, explore their feelings, provide activities to help them with their memories but mostly to support and journey with them.
Family is the life jacket in the stormy seas of life
We know that life gets stormy sometimes and we don’t want any child or family to feel they are alone and have no one to help so please if you know of a child or family that needs help emotionally or practically, please get in touch with us.
Tel: 0121 5859419 • Email: info@phasetrust.org.uk
Vicky Welch
Family Intervention & Head of Sexual Health, Phase Trust
