Support for Children
We support family members, including children, when there is a significant illness in the family. We do this by providing a space for families to discuss their situation, express their thoughts and feelings, share difficult conversations and look at things from a different perspective.
We work with children and young people to help them express themselves and reflect about their situation, in a safe environment, through talking, art making, play and storytelling. We also hold groups, encouraging peer support.
Sometimes there are things that children want to know; perhaps they feel afraid to ask and the more closely involved family members may find it difficult to answer.
If yourself or a relative would like to access our Family or Children's Support please do fill in our short referral form.
Our Support
How do we help?
Following a telephone consultation, an assessment appointment may be offered with our service leads, to talk through the most appropriate form of support for each individual child or young person. We have an experienced and trained team of volunteers, who all work creatively with children in either our Sunshine Room, Pod, other consulting rooms, or in our beautiful grounds, and Woodland Garden at the Spring Centre, at the hospice. We are also able to support in schools. Support can take the form of individual sessions or group activities, where children and young people can share, and explore their thoughts and feelings in a safe and facilitated environment.
Why does it help?
Talking to a person who is not family or friend, for example a support worker, may be helpful. Sometimes there are things that children and young people are confused about or want to know about, but they feel worried, afraid or even guilty about asking. Often they worry about upsetting others in the family. We find ways to help children, and young people, understand and cope better with what is happening in their lives. We aim to help build resilience and stepping stones into the future.
One to one sessions
Through weekly appointments, children and young people meet with their support worker to build a relationship of trust, where they feel they can safely express their innermost feelings, through creative play, shared activities - using art and crafts, story making and telling, or talking therapies.
Group peer support
Drawbridge offers group peer support for the 9 – 12 years age range to help self-expression and to share experiences with others in similar circumstances. The group meets fortnightly in term time to use art as a therapeutic tool to affect change.
The ToC series
We offer group support for young people ages 13 – 17 for peer support on a monthly by Zoom, and themed sessions face to face at the hospice.
Family support
Throughout the year we hold events including Family Activity and Pony days, Art and Crafts, events with visiting artists, animal therapy and family sessions. We also provide telephone support to parents and schools, for serious illness and bereavement related concerns. Our Woodland Walk provides opportunities for themed events including our Storytellers Chair, in our Woodland Garden, which is a quiet and peaceful space for stories to be made and shared.
Family activity and pony days
For children 3 -12 years, held during the warmer months of the year where families can meet together to enjoy crafts in our Spring Centre and pony rides in our grounds. We also have a visiting PAT dog.
For younger children
We run regular group activities for children including Family Film mornings, family activity and craft mornings and our popular Pony days. Our Pony days run every 4-6 weeks between March and September and offer therapeutic animal facilitation alongside a themed art activity for children 2-12 years old.
For teenagers
We hold a fortnightly group ‘Teen Drop’ on Tuesday evenings for teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18 where there is serious illness in the family. It’s an informal activities group led by two experienced child support workers offering an opportunity for teenagers that have shared similar experiences and or feelings to support each other in a safe environment.
The Spring Centre
Our Spring Centre is a free Health and Wellbeing Centre in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, which can help you to live your precious life well.
We’re here for adults who have a serious illness such as cancer or who have a neurological, heart or lung condition.
