Cruse Bereavement Care: Young Cruse Project

Providing support to bereaved young people...

Cruse Bereavement Care's Young Cruse Project offers bereaved children and young people access to individual bereavement support from caring volunteers. It provides a safe space where children aged 4-18 can begin to work through their grief in their own way, with the help of Young Cruse Volunteers.

One young person who has benefited from the project is Ayesha Kirkpatrick (pictured). When Ayesha was 14 years old, her mother died after two long years of illness. Being the youngest of three children, Ayesha was the only one still at home, and she helped her dad care for her mother at home.

Ayesha talks with tears and a smile about the closeness she shared with her mother. They used to sit and watch soaps together, and stake their claim on their favourite TV shows over the ones her dad and brothers wanted to watch.

Ayesha's dad got some support from Cruse Bereavement Care, and when he found out that the project was starting up a youth service, he asked Ayesha if she wanted to go along. Reflecting on that time period, Ayesha says:

'I was really in a bad place. I felt so very lost. I didn't know what to do or where to turn. I didn't want to talk to my dad because I was afraid I would upset him, and I couldn't talk to my friends about it because I figured they wouldn't understand. I was just in such a deep, dark place.

'I was really nervous about going to Cruse, but the volunteer was really friendly and welcoming. She gave me play dough to keep my hands occupied when I was talking to her so I wouldn't be so fidgety. After the first couple of weeks, I started to find it easier to talk about stuff and express my feelings. I think the main thing it gave me was more confidence to talk to other people about what had happened, without being scared. Being at Cruse helped me learn how to express my feelings more, and since then my dad and I have gotten on much better, and we talk about my mum every day.

'When my mum was sick, we talked a lot about things. She told me she wanted me to do well in school and stick with it so I could go on to university. Now, when I don't feel like studying, I remember her words, and that motivates me to go up to my room and study, so I can do well in school - for her.

'I think for someone who feels as lost as I did at that time, Young Cruse is just the best way to learn to express how you're feeling, and to help you know that life goes on and that you can fulfil it instead of feeling like it's over. I still have dark days, but then I come back up, into the light. Cruse has helped me with that, and I have some really good teachers at school. And now, if I have friends whose parents have died, I can support them, because I know how they feel.'

To view a video of Cruse Bereavement Care's Young Cruse Project in action, click here.

To vote for Cruse Bereavement Care's Young Cruse Project in The National Lottery Awards, click here or call 0844 686 1434.

Click here to visit the NLA Health Project finalists homepage on iVillage.