A NEW team has been set up at a Worcester charity for children from the north of the county who have suffered a bereavement.

Previously, bereaved children in the Redditch, Bromsgrove and Wyre Forest areas were cared fro by the Brambles Trust but when it went into liquidation four years ago, Noah’s Ark Trust stepped in to care for the hundreds of children who had suffered a bereavement and were in need of help.

As a result of the high demand for its services, the charity has developed a designated team of staff and volunteers in the area, which is working to help children and their families who have suffered a bereavement and raise the essential funds needed to keep providing the service free of charge to its users.

Brenda Houghton, bereavement services co-ordinator for Wyre Forest, has been working there for the past year.

She said: “For many of the children I see the death has been a complete shock and as a result of an accident.

“Sometimes a parent goes out and never returns home, the child’s life is suddenly in pieces.”

Vicky Quarton, bereavement services co-ordinator for Redditch and Bromsgrove, added: “All bereavement has a tendency to make children feel isolated but in recent months I have been working with some families facing death as a result of suicide and murder, which makes young people feel very different from everyone else and very alone.

“To have the support from Noah’s Ark Trust has helped to make life much more bearable fror them.”

Hayley Fowler, community fund-raiser for north Worcestershire, is hoping more people will see and recognise the valuable work the charity does within the area and make a donation.

Mrs Fowler said: “While the number of referrals from North Worcestershire has grown enormously, there still remains less awareness within the wider community. This makes it a struggle to raise the essential funds we need to fund our work, for which there is an overwhelming need.”

Currently your Worcester News is helping to raise money and awareness of the charity and help it find a new home within the heart of the community.

To help raise money for the trust, contact Mrs Fowler on 01905 745735 or visit noahsark trust.co.uk