JUST over 25 years ago, Carol Weight woke one morning to find her husband Peter had died in his sleep.

During the coming days and weeks, Mrs Weight not only had to keep herself going and come to terms with the terrible shock, but she also had to explain the tragic events to her six-year-old daughter and baby son.

"It was a real shock to the family," said Mrs Weight, whose husband suffered from heart problems.

"We were also about to move home so it was at a very difficult time."

At the tender age of just six, Mrs Weight's daughter had wandered into her bedroom on the morning she discovered her husband dead - and the tragic circumstances took their toll.

"She knew straight away what had happened and she was mute for months," says Mrs Weight, who lives in Barbourne, Worcester.

At the time, there was no support available for bereaved families - but Mrs Weight is convinced life would have moved on quicker for her family if there had been.

In Worcester 10 years ago a charity called the Noah's Ark Trust was set up by a woman called Rachel Weeks to help bereaved families in Worcestershire and Herefordshire.

Now we have launched our £1m Towards A Brighter Future campaign for it to build a new base in the heart of Worcester, which will allow it to expand the help it gives to families and youngsters and to help them come to terms with their feelings.

"For my part I would have known that my family was going to get support, counselling or respite and it would have helped me and them," said Mrs Weight.

"Noah's Ark gives family days which put a bit of normality back and help children.

"Twenty five years ago any support of this kind was never mentioned to me and what I discovered was that I was very much on my own.

"I did get lots of support from my own mum. But for surviving parents who don't have that, I should think it would be horrendous.

"For children, respite brings normality. Mine were my first commitment and to have someone else there to help them would have helped. Even later on my son, who was not directly affected when it first happened, found it difficult at school when he realised other children had fathers and he wanted to know why he didn't."

Mrs Weight's brother Andy now works for Noah's Ark as an appeals assistant and so she knows first-hand how the charity could have helped during such a difficult time.

She said: "Initially I heard about Noah's Ark when Andrew went to work there and I was amazed at what they did.

"It is a wonderful charity and I support it fully. I hope they manage to make their £1m to help them move forward to help children and families in the two counties."