Support when facing terminal illness and grief
OUR JOURNEY
Living with Life was set up in May 2016 and has developed and grown over recent years. Discover more about our journey below.
BACKGROUND.
Living with Life was inspired by my personal experience of loss, having lost both my aunty and cousin to cancer when younger, and then more recently when a close family member was diagnosed with a terminal illness, experiencing the shockwave it sent throughout the whole family.
Going through this, attending appointments, and meeting professionals at charities and hospices, made me realise what an overwhelming experience dealing with grief was.
The more I learnt, saw and experienced, the more a passion was ignited inside me to help other families going through similar experiences of grief.
MISSION.
LAUNCH.
My mission became to help them say goodbye well, grieve well and rebuild their life well.
I started Living with Life as a project under my choir, Smiths Academy, in May 2016, launching in Wigan with a Madhatters Tea Party and fundraisers such as the Birmingham Half Marathon, the Wigan 10k, karaoke nights, market stalls and singing at events. We also applied and secured a small amount of community funding.
We worked with a number of families who had already lost loved ones, helping us to better understand the unique challenges that come with losing a loved one and how different people grieve. We then worked with a few families battling terminal illness and grief, helping them practically to ease pressure, as well as being a friend to talk to, during a very dark time.
NOT FOR PROFIT CIC.
Living with Life grew and became much more than a standalone project. It was clear there was a very real need for ongoing support for families dealing with terminal illness throughout Wigan and its surrounding areas, and so we launched Living with Life as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC).
As our service developed we realised that grief can come in many forms, from losing a loved one, the ending of a relationship, the loss of a job, family conflict, stress and anxiety and even just life not turning out how you imagined it to be. People came to us with problems such as gambling problems, fertility issues, parenting, stress, anxiety, as well as terminal illnesses, and we realised that many people are battling with living life in different ways, so we looked for ways to help this wider group of people.
Abi Smith
Founder and CEO
WHAT WE HELP WITH.
+30
Families supported across Wigan and the surrounding areas.
OUR TEAM.
WE NEED YOUR HELP.
We are a source of support and guidance. What does that look like?
We are that friendly familiar voice at the end of a phone, the late night cup of tea when the day has been too much to face, that early morning phone call to encourage someone to take the first step of the day and get out of bed.
Each person’s journey is unique, and so our service must be personalised to a person’s particular struggle. Our support can look very practical like shopping, washing and ironing once a week, taking someone to hospital appointments and sitting with your loved one whilst you have an hour for self-care. We provide a safe listening ear to vent to and unload with, to guide, empower and equip when the way forward is unclear.
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, 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.
The founder and director of Living with Life, Abi Smith, works alongside the highly dedicated Miriam Wood, to provide day to day invaluable support to our families.
Our team also has a wonderful board of trustees, who each have expertise in their own area and are totally behind the vision and the heart of what we’re seeking to develop, create, build and provide through Living with Life. Each member of our team has had personal experience of having to face life’s battles head on, facing loss and grief.
There are many people asking for our help as well as referring others that need our help; we also have quite a few self-referrals each month.
We are holding back the flood gates as more and more people ask for our support.
We urgently need financial support, fundraising and donations to help us support more families across the Wigan.
We recognise the need for a much bigger staff team and also the funding to be able to continue the high level and quality support we provide, and to be able to meet increasing demand. Can you help us?
Read about our goals for the future by clicking the button below.
PARTNERS.
Thank you to the local businesses and community groups who have partnered with us over the years. Their support is invaluable in helping families across Wigan and the surrounding areas.
