Im running to help support Changes Bristol

During the present Covid crisis we have extended our objectives to include services for those who have lost during the coronavirus pandemic.  

When the Covid – 19 crisis began to emerge we grew very concerned that families who lost during this time would have not had the “non World” bereavement experience and reflected on how this would be affecting those concerned and their mental health. To lose a loved one and not be able to visit them in their last moments, see them after they had died and at times not been able to attend their funerals leaves a huge gap and perhaps lack of acceptance and form of reality and this would have effects on a person’s emotional well-being. With that in mind we began the process to adapt to the current crisis and try to help.

The Boarding School is the name of our new indoor skateboarding project. We've got a hall full of ramps at our youth centre that we set up each week for young rippers. Your wish will help us provide skateboard tuition to a young person to help them progress and earn locally recognised accreditation.

Specialist nurse to provide an hour of clinical support for a child who is end of life

Changes Bristol is a charity that helps people in mental health distress. We actively support almost 1,000 people, holding 10 online and 6 in-person weekly peer support groups. These groups are free, open-access and you don't need a diagnosis or GP referral to attend. A donation of £2 will cover the cost for a person to enjoy a hot drink and snack at one of our in-person meetings. 

Peer support is a regular gathering of people who have lived experience of poor mental health. These are facilitated by trained volunteers who will help to guide the meeting and allow everyone to have a chance to share and give feedback to their peers. At our meetings we help to encourage members to set goals for themselves so that they can start making small but measurable steps to becoming well again. We equip members with the tools they need to enable them to make positive changes to their lives. Regular members report increased feelings of confidence, resilience and self esteem.

Little ones expecting a baby to arrive home and then not understanding why this hasn’t happened may struggle with their emotions, school and everyday life. We want to help relieve the stresses of dealing with this alongside your loss and therefore have developed a Play Therapy Service for our families.

Play therapy is a therapeutic approach developed to help children between the ages of three to twelve years old.

Our therapists work with a child to explore and resolve any issues around the loss of their sibling through the therapeutic use of play. This involves using toys, drawings, story telling and other creative tools in order to help heal the child in a positive and creative way.