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At Noah’s Ark we help babies, children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, and their families, make the most of every day. And we support those who die young to do so in as much comfort as possible, surrounded by family. We provide exceptional care, organise fun activities and days out, and help families do things they never thought possible. We are here to enable those we support to enjoy life as children, rather than as patients; as families, not just as carers. We serve communities across north and central London, as well as Herts Valley, working in partnership with key NHS trusts.

When people are bereaved, particularly if they have lost a child, carer or partner or other very close relationship, they are at risk of depression, social isolation, physical and mental deterioration. Some people also face financial hardship if they are left with debts or are unable to work following the bereavement. Being bereaved in this way can be the most emotionally challenging time of someone’s life and we at Cruse specialise in being there at this time and helping people find a way to recover and find some peace of mind. Evaluations on our work show that through our helpline, one-to-one and telephone support, as well as group work, we are able to make a significant improvement in energy, self-esteem and confidence, with reduced isolation and increased positivity about the future. The first step people make to get that support is to call our helpline. Trained volunteers will call them back, sometimes spending many hours providing a listening ear and giving practical advice and guidance. Many people in our community struggle to know what to say to friends and family who are grieving and bereaved people can feel especially lonely and isolated. Grief can be very deep and go on for a very long time. It can be life-changing. Our bereavement volunteers do know what to say and how to be supportive, providing a caring and professional service when people are at their most vulnerable and alone. We currently have six helpline volunteers, we need to at least double our helpline team in order to provide ongoing regular cover. An assessment call made by one of our helpline team can take up to an hour per caller. In order to maintain a high standard of trained volunteers, we need to provide training and regular supervision. We also need to cover the cost of providing our telephone system and the calls.