Support when facing terminal illness and grief
HOW
WE HELP
Our support is highly personalised to a persons unique challenges and needs as they face life-limiting illness and grief.
WE HELP FAMILIES IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
We have worked with over 30 families within Wigan and the surrounding areas, helping support them following a terminal illness diagnosis or another of life’s most traumatic struggles.
We understand that no family is identical and no one’s needs are identical. That is why we tailor our help, genuinely listening to what a person says, or indeed doesn’t say.
The funding and donations we receive understandably influences what we can practically help with. But no matter what funding we have, we are a friend for the journey, someone to talk to and listen.
Some of the things we have helped families with are listed below.
We would love to expand our support and we need your help to do this.
Find out how you can get involved.
Someone to talk to and offer support
Washing & ironing
Our team stay in contact with our families arranging regular phone calls, meeting for a coffee, keeping individuals company when they feel alone, and even sitting and holding their hand in their final hours (when they have no other support close by). We offer support to individuals going through illness, as well as support for their family. Our aim is to help them work through their challenges, so they can say goodbye well, grieve well and rebuild their lives well.
Going through trauma can be exhausting so we have been able to offer some families a laundry and ironing service once a week. We can pick up a load of washing and deliver it back within a few days freshly ironed. This has been greatly helped through our partner One Stop Laundry & Ironing Services in Wigan.
Cleaning the house
Our team have helped people in need with their cleaning once a week. This could involve hoovering & polishing your house, doing you’re washing up, and helping to tidy up, giving your family much needed respite and a lovely clean home to come home to, during what can be a very busy time.
Babysitting
Accompanying hospital visits
Organisation
Managing your daily family life during a crisis is hard work. Our team have helped families with babysitting so they can attend hospital appointments, or so they can have a much needed evening of rest. Note all our staff are DBS checked.
Some people do not have a wider support unit, so we take that place by attending hospital visits to help support and find answers during what can be an overwhelming and confusing time.
Our team have helped families with getting their estate in order, arranging repatriation of their body, and clearing of a house following their passing (when they have no family).
Memory books
Other support services
We’ve helped a few families to prepare beautiful memory books to help families grieve well and remember their loved ones, as they rebuild their lives in the darkest of times.
We are very clear that whilst we have basic skills in listening, mentoring, coaching, our sole purpose is to be a ‘friend for the journey’. There have been times we have suggested that a more professional level of support would be advised, for example visiting the GP or a Qualified Counsellor.
However, in 80% of people we have met over the past year, simple talking – a listening ear, someone to vent to, clear their head with, has been all they’ve needed.
To support our work, we partner and work with a number of businesses and charities that can offer extra support, depending on a person’s own unique needs.
If you would like to partner with us and help support our families, click here to find out more.