First award ceremony for children's charity

By Amanda Wilkins - 19 November 2024

CharityFamily

Wiltshire Treehouse will be holding their first Awards ceremony as part of their annual ‘A Week to Remember’, and launching their 10-year anniversary celebrations.

Wiltshire Treehouse are a children’s bereavement charity that work across Swindon and Wiltshire. 

The awards will celebrate champions within the community who have made a difference to bereaved children, young people and their families. The ceremony will be held on the evening of Friday 22 November and is kindly supported by Zurich, who have helped to arrange the awards and have allowed the use of Unity Place as venue.

Guests will include High Sherif of Wiltshire Olivia Chapel, Deputy Lieutenant Shirley Ludford, Mayor of Swindon Imtiyaz Shaikh, Liz Rothschild, Author, Celebrant & Actress and local author Kate Claxton.

 

The award categories are:

  • Making Friends AwardVolunteer Superstar
  • Storyteller Award
  • Individual Bereavement Champion
  • Schools Bereavement Champion

A Week to Remember is Wiltshire Treehouse’s annual campaign raising awareness of the bereavement experiences of children and young people. The charity supports communities to understand the needs of grieving children and young people as part of the wider national movement, Children’s Grief Awareness Week and International Children Grief Awareness Day.

Sarah Bear, Business Director, said: “Inspired by receiving the Wiltshire Life Charity of the year award, we wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate our 10th birthday and give back to our community that has supported us so much.

“With nominations from across Wiltshire and competition steep, we have whittled it down to a short-list of individuals and schools and can’t wait to celebrate and thank them for their commitment to bereaved children and young people.”

In the past 10 years, Wiltshire Treehouse have supported over 2000 bereaved children and young people, plus 4,000 parents/carers. Their work training and supporting professionals has improved the potential bereavement experience for over 164,000 children and young people within Swindon and Wiltshire.

The charity has also provided support for more than 181 children and young people bereaved by suicide in the past 6 years. Starting with 1 ten-hour a week post, the charity now employs 6 part-time staff and more than 30 volunteers who deliver this amazing work. With plans to continue expansion throughout the whole County of Wiltshire, this small charity is set to continue making big waves.

Your Comments

Be the first to comment on this article

Login or Register to post a comment on this article

Subscribe to The Link

Registered in England & Wales. No: 4513027, Positive Media Group, Old Bank House, 5 Devizes Road, Old Town, Swindon, SN1 4BJ