Bereavement charity’s lottery grant secures future for three years

A bereavement charity has been given a grant of almost £140,000 that will help secure its future for the next three years.

Shetland Bereavement Support Service, based at Market House in Lerwick, helps people deal with the issues of loss including grief, loneliness and isolation. It has received £138,320 of Big Lottery funding.

Chairwoman Rita Rendall spoke of her “delight” that the money had been granted.

“It will enable us to recruit more volunteers and invest more in training, particularly to support children through bereavement. Shetland has no other dedicated bereavement service, so it is great that the

Big Lottery Fund has recognised our role in providing the Shetland community with local, specialist support. Bereavement affects everyone, and we are here for anyone struggling to cope with their grief.”

The money will be used to continue the provision of bereavement support and provide training and awareness courses. It will also help them recruit volunteers and offer a new memory box service to families experiencing bereavement.

Memory boxes are for families to work through together, to talk about the person they have lost and share their thoughts on what that person meant to each of them, to create happy, positive memories, but also to work through more difficult feelings such as anger, guilt, sadness and loneliness.

If the bereavement was suicide related, then materials to support the family through a complex and sudden death would be included. Each box has the potential to be different.

Big Lottery Fund Scotland chairwoman, Maureen McGinn, said: “The funding will make a big difference where it is needed most and I wish Shetland Bereavement Support Service every success as it goes on to develop and expand its project for the benefit of their local community.”