West Mercia PCC donates £4,000 to road collision bereavement charity

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion made the donation to the 2wish charity, which supports people impacted by the loss of a young life in a motor accident.

The funds will go towards those affected by the unexpected death of a child or a young person under the age of 25 in the West Mercia region.

2wish, in partnership with RoadPeace, provide assistance to anyone affected by a road death, from loved ones to police officers.

The contributions extend to a range of support efforts, such as memory boxes, counselling, home visits for the bereaved, complementary therapies, coffee mornings, and support events.

Mr Campion said: "Any loss of life is a true tragedy, including in road collisions.

"But when the loss of a young person – albeit a child, a friend, a sibling - is sudden and expected, that pain is unimaginable and impossible to process."

He added: "I am full of gratitude to 2wish for what they are able to provide not just to loved ones, but to first responders, therapists and other professionals whose lives are changed by the bereavement they face in the line of duty.

"I want to make sure anyone affected by loss under these circumstances receives the support and guidance they need in their darkest hour."

Chief Inspector Julian Smith, who has initiated the integration of 2wish within West Mercia Police, said: "The opportunity to work alongside 2wish is something that was an absolute gift.

"As police officers, we will unfortunately deal with people on a regular basis that are impacted by this, and to have a contact that we can refer them to immediately will be a great benefit to them at a really traumatic time.

"When we as officers need support, we can be referred to 2wish."

Rhian Mannings MBE, founder of 2wish, said: "We are so grateful for the donation from Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion which will help support those families who find themselves in the awful position of losing a child."