How Time To Share Bereavement Services supports Cumbrian families

The CIC was established after consultations with previous service users and professionals, to cater to the continuing demand for specialist support from families and schools.

Together, the team has over 20 years of experience within the field and they have met hundreds of children and families, who have experienced what are often the most difficult of circumstances. The most common referrals are following a parental death. 

Time to Shares aim is to assist parents and guardians in helping their children adapt to bereavement. They strive to understand each child comprehensively by liaising with different systems surrounding them.

Based on children's needs, Time to Share can offer a range of sessions from 1:1 play therapy/bereavement support, to small group work in schools, who are the main commissioners.

Time to Share community picnic event (Image: Time to Share)

They also provide separate 8-week after-school community groups for secondary and primary school ages and a monthly Dad’s and Kid’s group. Ashley Lloyd from Time to Share said: "This is so that we can help reduce feelings of isolation and create peer support networks."

"We see children at various times in their lives and those who need to, can be re-referred. As children have taught us they grieve at different ages and stages, we are here when they need it and for the long-term. "

Time to Share have a range of supports which include past service users and young people who are now involved in the running of the groups, interested individuals and businesses who fundraise and grants from a range of organisations.

Ashley said: "We continually review and develop services in response to need and have recently held an exhibition for Children’s Grief Awareness Week, entitled ‘What Family means to me’ in partnership with Rosehill Theatre and thanks to Funding from the Asda Foundation"