Local man aiming to canoe 14,000 km through 15 countries for Hampshire child bereavement charity

‘Simon Says’ became a registered charity in 2001 with the aim of supporting children and young people in Hampshire who have someone important to them who has died or is dying.

The death of someone important can have a devastating effect on a child’s life, but we know that given support children can be helped to understand what has happened and helped to rebuild their lives.

Their seven monthly Support Groups are run throughout Hampshire by a team of 100+ dedicated volunteers and offer children and families the opportunity to work through their bereavement journey.

A typical group will use planned craft activities, games and stories to focus on a common theme of thoughts, feelings and emotions related to the death e.g. sadness, anger, guilt and memories.

These sessions are important as they help children to normalise their grief and realise they are not alone.

These groups are free of charge and can be accessed as and when the child needs the support. Adults stay onsite so they can seek the advice of our volunteers and often find invaluable peer-to-peer support.

As well as the groups they run a Helpline, which took over 1000 calls last year from parents and professionals seeking advice.

They have also have developed bespoke resources for schools and colleges who have had bereavement within the school community and have a dedicated Education Lead, who goes into schools to deliver training and bereavement education.

They also train other organisations who provide services to children such as the police, the NHS, etc.

Like most charities, they receive no government support and rely on kind organisations and individuals like Andrew to raise funds. The cause is close to Andrew's heart as he lost his Dad as a young boy. If you would like to follow and support Andrew's epic challenge please see Andy Beardmore is fundraising for Simon Says (justgiving.com)