ABOUT THE HOPE HOUSE & TY GOBAITH BUILDING BRIDGES WEBSITE.

For more general information about Hope House and Ty Gobaith please go to www.hopehouse.org.uk.

This website has been set up specifically for children and young people who have been supported by Hope House in Shropshire, Cheshire, Powys and Wrexham and by Ty Gobaith in North Wales.

Many of them will be siblings of children and young people with life limiting conditions who have accessed respite care at the hopsices.

The other main group of users will be children and young people who we have supported following the death of a close relative by sudden and traumatic means, for example - suicide, road accidents, murder.

The Building Bridges team seeks to support children and young people who are living with the stresses of terminal illness or bereavement by offering  befriending, support, advice, assistance and counselling. We can see children on their own, in a family group or in peer groups. 

Sessions are sometimes just about having fun and building up relationships, and sometimes about sharing what it means to live with a sibling who is terminally ill, or to be bereaved. We may focus on memories, both good and bad, and talk about different feelings such as anger, guilt and sadness. Sometimes children are not able to ask their family for help as they may feel that their parents are already too upset or stressed to help, and they do not want to add to their worries. When parents are struggling with their own sadness and loss, it may be really hard for them to help their children as much as they may want to, this is when we may be able to offer support.

Most importantly Building Bridges shows children and young people that they are not on their own, that there are people who can help, and also that there are other children and young people who are going through similar experiences.