Hospice secures Children in Need funding for youngsters’ bereavement service

St Wilfrid’s Hospice has secured BBC Children in Need funding for its children’s bereavement service for the next three years.

The Seahorse Project offers counselling support to any bereaved child aged 6 to 18 years old in Eastbourne, Seaford, Hailsham, Uckfield, Heathfield and all points in between.

Over the past seven years, the project has supported around 900 children and young people, helping them navigate their grief. Support has also been extended to training local schools and children’s services, helping them better support the children in their care.

Nine-year-old Oscar was helped by Seahorse earlier this year. His Mum, Hannah Burns, said: “After his Grandad passed away, Oscar had six sessions with Lisa from the Seahorse Project. She helped him manage his emotions, and was understanding, kind, friendly and funny. 

“With Oscar being autistic, he struggles with his emotions as it is. Having Seahorse Project helped him understand what happened, and that the feelings he was experiencing were valid and understood. After sessions, he would seem very happy, and his emotions were a bit more stable.

“I am so grateful for the project. Lisa was absolutely brilliant with Oscar, she was on his level and interacted with him really well and he really took to her. He looked forward to his sessions, it wasn't something he dreaded,” Hannah said.

The Seahorse team works tirelessly to provide weekly spaces for children to explore their feelings through talking, art, and music, and to ensure their voices are heard and validated.

Ella Williams, Counselling Services Lead at St Wilfrid's, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that our application to BBC Children in Need has been successful and the Seahorse Project is fully funded for another three years. This is an extraordinary achievement and a true testament to the dedication, compassion and teamwork that goes into this project.”

For more information about Seahorse, and to download free resources, visit www.stwhospice.org/seahorse