High Peak hospice asks people to 'go blue' for March fundraising campaign

A north Derbyshire hospice charity is asking families, community groups and workplaces to ‘go blue’ next month for one of its biggest annual fundraising initiatives.
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The #GoBlueForBlytheHouse campaign is open to everyone including schoolchildren, students, employers and individual members of the public, who can choose any day throughout March to celebrate the work of Blythe House and Helen’s Trust.

Suggested fundraising activities include dressing up in blue, holding a blue-themed prize raffle, coffee morning or party, or decorating shop windows and office space.

Every penny collected will help the charity provides care for patients with a life-limiting illness across the High Peak, Derbyshire Dales and North East Derbyshire, and deliver services such as counselling and bereavement support to patients’ family members.

Ray Leech, a counsellor for the Blythe House children’s bereavement service.Ray Leech, a counsellor for the Blythe House children’s bereavement service.
Ray Leech, a counsellor for the Blythe House children’s bereavement service.

The hospice cares for people of all ages, starting with a children’s bereavement counselling service which makes a huge difference to young people.

The parents of one local boy, Oscar, were grateful for support when they became concerned about how he may be dealing with his grandmother’s death, as Oscar began experiencing panic attacks.

Oscar’s mum said: “It was so distressing for us as parents having our child convinced that they were going to die. I was desperate and I knew I needed help. My boy was not okay and it breaks your heart as a parent when you can’t fix it.

“I rang Blythe House and they referred me to the children’s counselling services. I couldn’t believe it, after one visit we saw a dramatic improvement and my boy was starting to be himself again. We went from five panic attacks a day to none. I don’t know what I would have done without that help.

There are lots of ways people can get involved in the campaign.There are lots of ways people can get involved in the campaign.
There are lots of ways people can get involved in the campaign.

“It gives me so much reassurance to know that we have given Oscar the right support for him. I know that Oscar’s future is protected and he’s no longer trapped in his grief.”

Raising as little as £25 in the #GoBlue campaign can pay for a child to have a memory box to keep treasured possessions safe of the person they are remembering, while £360 to pay for a full 12-week course of counselling for a bereaved child to help them come to terms with their loss.

For more information on how to get involved, email [email protected] or call 01298 816995.

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