Young people’s bereavement charity launches new text service
The UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish, is expanding its services to include a dedicated bereavement support text service. From today (September 15), Winston’s Wish will be launching their new text service which will be open between the hours of 3pm to 8pm each weekday.
The charity, which supports young people up to the age of 25 when their worlds have been turned upside down by grief, champions digital support which bypasses long waitlists and agonising delays for specialist bereavement advice.
Winston’s Wish was founded in 1992 and offers bereavement support and advice to young people as well as their parents or carers and professionals. Last year, the charity supported and directly impacted the lives of more than 95,000 children and young people.
The charity currently offers people the opportunity to reach out to their services via helpline on the website, freephone and email services; however, this newest offering is in recognition of the changing habits of children and young people. Many young people prefer to write down their feelings and have a real-time conversation over text with a bereavement support worker.
The new text service is available over WhatsApp and SMS text on 07418 341800. It is open from 3pm to 8pm, weekdays (excluding bank holidays).
Deputy CEO and Director of Services Letizia Perna comments: “It is so important that we’re meeting children and young people where they are and adapting to what suits them the best. So many young people prefer to write down their feelings and have a conversation that way, they may not feel comfortable picking up a phone or talking to somebody verbally.
“Our aim is very much that the text service will be grief support in your pocket, perhaps a young person wants to chat about their grief on their way home from school or when they’re in their room.
“Our helpline, freephone and email services very much remain open. Instead of replacing these popular avenues of communication, this text service is designed to be another offering to help us reach as many bereaved young people in a way that suits them.”
The new text service allows young people the opportunity to access advice from a bereavement support worker in the same way they would if they phoned the charity’s phone or chatted over the helpline.
The text service will allow young people to leave and pick up the conversation again without having to express themselves from the start. For instance, a young person may decide to text the charity’s service for support before an important event, an anniversary or when they are struggling and they may decide to message again a few days later without having to go through the challenge of explaining their experience from the beginning again.
Letizia Perna comments: “As a charity, our vision is that no child is left to grieve alone, and our new text service is a positive step to help us be more accessible to the children and young people who need our support and advice.
“Our hope is that as many bereaved young people as possible know about the services designed just for them so that they can access what they need, when they need it and in a way which is most accommodating to their individual needs.”
The Winston’s Wish new text service is available over WhatsApp and SMS on 07418 341800. It is open from 3pm to 8pm, weekdays (excluding bank holidays). The charity is keen to reassure that people can use the helpline, freephone and ASK email services for bereavement support on weekdays between the hours of 8am to 8pm.
