Support for children and young people

Saturday Club is for young people who are living with an adult who has been given a terminal diagnosis. It is staffed by a multi-disciplinary team and is designed primarily to help these youngsters. It can also provide a base for all-round family support.

This project is designed to provide support for all youngsters (5-18 yrs) bereaved whilst in the care of St Michael’s Hospice. In conjunction with Noah’s Ark Trust, St Michael’s invited recently bereaved youngsters to attend a pilot scheme. Four after-school sessions were held at the Fred Bulmer Centre, using Noah’s Ark facilities. Parents were invited to stay for tea and cake and another member of the Hospice team hosted this meeting.

In evaluating the project it was noted that all the children and parents who had started the pilot had attended every session. These families also agreed to move on to the regular Noah’s Ark support programme. Of those families who were invited but did not attend, the majority accepted an offer of future support from Noah’s Ark.