Nelson's Journey Covid support Activity Day

Aim

We would like to hold a therapeutic activity day specifically for children and young people bereaved during the Covid-19 pandemic.

We are hoping to run an Activity Day at Hilltop Outdoor Centre, near Sheringham, to bring together children and young people bereaved during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The restrictions placed on visiting those that are dying, and on funerals, is having a significant negative impact on everyone bereaved. Families are less able to support each other, children have had fewer opportunities to say goodbye, and memorial events have been postponed or cancelled altogether. 

These children have had an incredibly tough time with lockdown, social support networks being removed and restricted opportunities to say goodbye and remember their special person.

We want to give them the chance to meet others who have been bereaved through similar difficult circumstances, get peer support and have a chance to learn coping mechanisms for their challenging emotions resulting from the death of their loved one. 

They will get the chance to enjoy the outdoor activities at Hilltop Outdoor Centre, building confidence and self esteem by challenging themselves physically whilst supporting the other attendees with their personal goals. 

When those attending come inside the activity centre in the afternoon, they will get the opportunity to ask questions about the circumstances surrounding the death (anonymously), to a doctor who attends the session. 

They will also get the opportunity to take part in the candlelight ceremony, where each person takes a turn to light a candle for the person who's died and then each person blows out their candle and says goodbye. This is often a chance for release of all the emotions that the children have been feeling, and a time where they can see that it's ok to cry. Families will also be able to talk about ways to memorialise their special people when guidance allows. 

Through attending the Activity Day children will benefit from improved mental health and well-being, improved relationships with family and friends and a reduced sense of isolation.

This project successfully funded on 23rd March 2021