Winston’s Wish is the leading childhood bereavement charity in the UK, offering a wide range of practical support and guidance to children, their families and professionals bereaved through murder, manslaughter, suicide or the military.
They also provide therapeutic help in individual, group and residential settings, and via a national helpline, interactive website and publications. Global’s Make Some Noise have helped to support their Family Services Practitioners, who deliver bereavement support programmes to both the family in their own home and at their family centres in Gloucestershire, North West and West Sussex.
The Molyneux Family’s Story
Royal Navy submariner Ian Molyneux was killed during active service at the age of 36, leaving behind his wife Gill and their four children. As Gill tried to explain her husband’s death to kids Jamie, 16, Arron, 15, Bethany 9, and Charlie 6, she found she needed help and advice which led her to contact Winston’s Wish.
As well as providing telephone support on how to explain that Ian wasn’t coming home, the childhood bereavement charity offered one-to-one and family sessions to them helping to unravel the story of his death and deal with their grief both personally and together.
Bethany said: “I miss my dad every day. Winston’s Wish has taught me that it’s OK to feel sad, but that it’s important to have happy times too. I don’t want to ever forget my dad, so Winston’s Wish have helped me to build a memory box all about him.”
Her mum Gill added: “Winston’s Wish has supported the children individually, but importantly also all of us as a family unit. The services are second to none. We’ve been able to understand each other’s emotions and grief and appreciate that we all have different memories and are all at a different stage in the healing process. Winston’s Wish has been the glue that we needed to put our family back together after the horrendous loss of a wonderful husband and daddy.”
The Winston’s Wish Helpline is a UK-wide national helpline offering support, information and guidance to all those caring for a child or young person who has been bereaved. Call 08452 03 04 05 or go to www.winstonswish.org.uk for more information.