Spiral
Spiral supports bereaved children and young people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Spiral was launched by Family Care, in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support and Faith in Families, in 2008. We:
- provide early emotional support for children and young people following the loss of someone important in their lives.
- support the families of bereaved children.
- act as a link between all services regarding bereavement issues for children in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
- help professionals and people working with bereaved children, through training, resources and advice, to enable them to respond appropriately to children affected by bereavement.
Spiral's services include...
- Telephone support, advice and information.
- Professional bereavement emotional support services for children and young people using a range of therapeutic approaches such as art, music, play
- Group support programmes for bereaved children and young people
Spiral’s development plans include...
- Developing this website into an interactive resource for children, carers and professionals.
- Enabling bereavement volunteering opportunities which will help us support more children.
- Providing a child-friendly memorial area for bereaved families in Nottinghamshire.
- Producing a school's bereavement policy and pack
Watch a short film about Spiral
(Family Care provides) "very innovative services and also services that are very much centred around the children".
This film (5 minutes 44 seconds) was made possible by funding from Boots. Spiral Bereavement Project Coordinator Angela Cheadle talks about the work of Spiral and how it helps vulnerable children, with interviews from people who have helped make Spiral possible.
Spiral in the news
read recent Spiral press articles
NEW Spiral Memory Woods
Visit Spiral's Memory Woods and plant a tree in memory of someone special who has died. This is the first step in our plan to provide online resources for children and young people, in addition to resources for parents and professionals. Click the logo to enter the Woods.
Using Spiral’s Service
If you are a parent/carer, young person or professional and would like advice or support please contact a member of the Spiral team on 0115 9603010. There is a dedicated Spiral worker available Mondays 10am - 2pm and Thursdays 2pm - 6pm.
Children Grieve Too event
Spiral held its first conference ‘Children Grieve Too…’ for 120 local professionals in November 2009.
The event featured guest speakers, Arlene Healey (the Belfast Trauma Centre) and Shelley Gilbert (Grief Encounter), and included creative workshops to give professionals practical ways of working with bereaved children
"This is one of the best conferences I have ever attended. The permission to be honest with children was inspiring and yet so obvious."
Cyril’s First Birthday
Cyril Spiral, the face of our Spiral logo, celebrated the anniversary of the service’ launch on 30th October 2009, with a birthday party for over 80 children and parents who have used Family Care’s services.
Held at Trent Vineyard, the party was organised by a team from Boots. Activities on the day included Cyril mask making, cookie decorating, hook-a-duck, face painting, beauty product pampering and arts and crafts. The event received press coverage in the Nottingham Evening Post and was mentioned on Smooth Radio and Heart 106
How Spiral helps
"The staff at Family Care have been absolutely wonderful to both me and my family. It is an organisation that helps people in their darkest hours, particularly hurt, broken-hearted children. Through skill, dedication and kindness, they help put these children back together. I will be forever grateful for how you have helped my children to come to terms with the loss of their beloved dad".
how Spiral has helped a family
Finding help with bereavement
click here to download resources:
For further information please contact us on 0115 960 30 10,
or email us info@familycare-nottingham.org.uk
