Growing Our Support Across Midlothian
Memorial Dove Tree
For many children and young people, the death of someone can change the rest of their lives. Grief can affect every aspect, from relationships with friends, family and school to confidence and even sleep. Richmond’s Hope envisages a world where children and young people experiencing bereavement are supported and have the resources to explore their grief.
We support children and young people aged 4–18 who have experienced all types of bereavement. Through a combination of specialist grief activities and talking, we provide a safe, supportive space where young people can explore their emotions, preserve memories of their person, and develop healthy coping strategies that help them live well alongside their grief.
We also recognise that bereavement affects the whole family, which is why we offer support visits for parents and carers who may find it difficult to talk to children about death, alongside this we offer grief awareness training for schools, professionals and community organisations.
Richmond’s Hope has supported children and families in Midlothian since 2006, providing our service one day a week thanks to the support of St Johns and Kings Park church. Over the years, Midlothian has continued to grow, and with that growth has come a significant increase in the number of referrals we receive. This has highlighted the growing need for specialist bereavement support within local communities.
To meet this need, we are expanding our service in Midlothian to a three day a week service to be delivered out of the Midlothian Innovation Centre, Pentlandfield, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9RE. This will allow us to reach more children, young people and families than we could before. This expansion reflects our commitment to ensuring that grieving children can access support when they need it, rather than waiting until their grief has become overwhelming.
Messages from young people who have completed sessions to those starting.
We chose to expand because we have seen first-hand the impact that timely bereavement support can have. When children are given the opportunity to understand their feelings, remember the person who has died, and feel validation in a safe and compassionate environment, they are better equipped to navigate life alongside grief. By increasing our presence in Midlothian, we hope to reduce barriers to accessing support and ensure that more families know they do not have to face grief on their own.
Every child deserves the chance to be heard, understood and supported. As we grow our service across Midlothian, our hope is, to reach more children and young people and their families, providing the right support at the right time, and normalise talking about grief.
