Last week our fantastic partnership with Sainsburys in Otley and Rawdon came to an end.
The staff and customers over the course of the year have raised a staggering £6,472 pounds for our work and we are so grateful and proud of all their hard work.
Elliot's Footprint founder Andrea Kerslake said:
With Elliot’s birthday we welcome the amazing donations and support of the staff and community here at Sainsburys in both Otley and Rawden. His birthday serves as a timely reminder of the importance of our work. The money raised here will go to fund our Sudden Bereavement Family Support Worker in partnership with Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.
All the money raised will be going to support our new role the Sudden Bereavement Support Worker based at Forget Me Not Hospice. Helen Wilson from the Hospice added:
In a short space of time, the Sudden Bereavement Family Support Worker has begun to positively affect the lives of families throughout West Yorkshire, who have been devastated by the sudden death of their child. The support offered has quickly set a precedent for how families like these should be supported in the future.
For example, the support worker has provided advocacy support which has enabled successful benefits applications, assessments and appeals. They’ve assisted with funeral planning, housing and repatriation. Their knowledge of legal processes and liaison with professionals is, families tell us, the key element that has helped them “not worry about everything else that is going on”.
But what parents value the most is the emotional support the worker provides in those early days following a sudden death; an experience no words could possibly describe. Whether it’s while families spend time with their child’s body, make memories to treasure, or when speaking to surviving children about their sibling, this support has been essential. Sometimes, the simplest act has been the most powerful - like being there to share a hot drink and memories of a treasured child. As one mum says, the Sudden Bereavement Family Support Worker is “an angel”."
We thank again all the amazing staff and customers from Sainsburys for their support.