£15,000 donation to fund bereavement support for local children

Thanks to the generosity of families who have held funerals at a Devon crematorium, £15,000 has been donated to a local charity that supports children before and after the death of someone important in their lives.

The donation of £15,000 from East Devon Crematorium to Balloons was raised through donations of metals which remain after cremation, with the express consent of bereaved families.

The charity was chosen by colleagues at the Whimple-based crematorium as they’d heard of its excellent bereavement support for children and young people and had a heart-warming memory of the charity supporting at least one person in the local area.

Nicola Clarke, Balloons CEO, said: “‘We are delighted to have received this incredible donation from East Devon Crematorium. At Balloons, we support bereaved children and young people when someone significant in their life dies.

“We work across Exeter, East and Mid Devon, providing 1:1 support through our trained Grief Support Workers, supporting children and young people through their grieving and healing process. We also work alongside their families and the professionals who care for them to further enhance the support they receive, this can involve telephone and email support.

“Balloons is a small, local charity run entirely on donations and grants, and every pound makes a difference. This donation enables us to keep our service going to be able to support more children and young people.”

The national verified scheme that recycles metals is run by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management and carried out with the written consent of each bereaved family. Metals may include items used in the construction of the coffin or orthopaedic implants.

The proceeds are then returned to the crematorium which donates the money to local charities.

Katherine Ohlsen, from East Devon Crematorium, said: “At the heart of the recycling scheme are all the families who are happy to donate the metals. It is a great responsibility allocating these funds because it is a gift from our bereaved customers. Our most sincere thanks to them all.

“Whilst we were visiting Balloons, what struck us was the fantastic support both given and received locally. There is a local group which produces hand-crafted, stunning comfort quilts for each of the children, a knitting group which donates specially created soft toys and they have also received support from local sportsman Tom Daley.

“Balloons has also recently been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service which recognises the outstanding achievements made by a group of volunteers. That says it all. It is a charity we have already recommended to families we meet – and we will continue to do so.

“We left Balloons knowing that the recycling funds donated to this charity are going to be put to such beneficial use, helping children and young people in the local area.”