Balloons (Bereavement And Loss LOoking ONwardS)

is a charity that provides community-based support for children, young people and their families from Exeter, Mid or East Devon following the death, or before an expected death, of a significant person in their lives, such as a parent, carer or sibling.

Balloons is a newly emerging charity, largely dependent on highly skilled volunteers supporting qualified professionals, all who share an interest in supporting bereaved children and young people up to the age of eighteen.

Our aim is to inform, guide and support children and young people; to help them manage the impact of their grief and their reactions to their loss.

We do this by:

• Accepting referrals from professionals and parents
• Assessing the level of need
• Offering one-to-one support and advice to the children and young people in a safe environment. This could be in the home or at school
• Offering group support/play activities and advice at bereavement and memory days, supervised by play therapists and professionals, supported by trained volunteers
• We provide excellent, professional training to enable volunteers to develop and increase their skills
• We offer training to teachers, health and social workers and others, to support bereaved children and young people in their familiar environments.

Through the provision of home visits and group activities, our service strives to reduce the distress of grieving children and young people and enable families to work together through the difficult times before and after the death.

Few life events have a greater impact on families than the death of a family member, and while life will never be the same again, with help and support children can make a positive and successful transition to adult life.