Winston's Wish
Life insurance obviously helps with any money issues following a death, but there is so much more for bereaved families – especially children – to handle.
Whenever there is a death claim under our group life policies, Ellipse asks the scheme trustees involved to pass information to the deceased member’s family about the national helpline service provided by the charity Winston’s Wish, which is the country’s leading provider of bereavement services to children and their families.
We think it makes sense to bring the practical help Winston’s Wish can offer to our claimants’ attention, but also that it would be wrong to do this without providing the financial support Winston’s Wish need to be able to provide their services. For every death claim we handle, we make a donation to Winston’s Wish.
We also sponsor their programme for children and young people bereaved through suicide (around a quarter of their helpline calls relate to bereavement following a suicide). Ellipse’s sponsorship will enable the charity to fund the cost of producing and distributing their specialist publication, ‘Beyond the rough rock – supporting a child who has been bereaved through suicide’. This book is sent free of charge to parents or carers who phone the Winston’s Wish national Helpline following a death by suicide and it provides practical help and advice to adults/parents supporting bereaved children.
The sponsorship will also contribute towards a residential weekend specifically for children, young people and their family who are bereaved by suicide. This weekend allows families to meet others who are bereaved in the same way and helps children and their families find ways of coping day to day, remember the person who has died, manage their difficult feelings and behaviours and build a hopeful future.
More information about the services Winston’s Wish provide and how they can be supported can be found on their website, www.winstonswish.org.uk