The UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish, is calling upon the local community to take part in its Firewalk at the Land Rover Sports and Social Club in Solihull on the 16th of November to raise funds and awareness of its services.

This special event is open to young people aged 14 or older and includes full training for everyone involved. It will also take place just before the start of Children’s Grief Awareness Week, which begins on the Monday 18 of November and runs until the 24th, and follows the theme of ‘Building Hope’. 

The Firewalk offers the opportunity for individuals, friend groups or work teams to come together to take part in an igniting experience that will help to alight hope for grieving children and young people. 

Devastatingly, estimates suggest that, each day, more than 100 children in the UK are bereaved of a parent and that figure doesn’t equate how many young people are coping with the death of a sibling, grandparent, friend, or another significant individual in their lives or the families who have been told of a terminal diagnosis. 

As the UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish has been supporting grieving people up to the age of 25 and their families in the local area and further across the UK for more than thirty years. The charity offers on-demand bereavement support which young people can access directly as well as their parents, carers, teachers or other professionals. 

Winston’s Wish also provides a wealth of resources on the website and launched Talk Grief, the Youth-Led Grief Network earlier this year which is especially designed for 13–25-year-olds to discuss topics pertaining to what it’s like to navigate growing up with grief. The Grief in Common podcast series provides a platform for young, bereaved voices to discuss the topics important to them from what it’s like to cope with grief at university to how to tell friends you’re bereaved. 

The Firewalk is designed not only to raise funds to help support the charity’s vision that no child is left to grieve alone but also to provide an empowering experience for participants, many of whom themselves have been bereaved. 

Participants will receive full training from professionals before the evening Firewalk which will take place at the Land Rover Sports and Social Club in Solihull. Registration costs a nominal £20 with a minimum sponsorship target of £150.

Director of Fundraising Paul Moore is excited to be welcoming participants to the Firewalk. He says,

“I’ve had the joy of taking part in a previous charity Firewalk Winston’s Wish hosted a little while ago and I can’t express enough how much of an incredible experience it is. Naturally, you think fire and run, but the training you are given is very reassuring and empowers you to feel confident enough do the walk. 

“From my last walk, when you first put your foot on the coals, you’re reminded of what countless bereaved young people are having to face every day, putting one foot in front of another in a circumstance that might scare them, or they haven’t ever experienced before. 

“I’m really looking forward to the next Firewalk and hope that as many people are aware of this event so that they can sign up too and experience it for themselves, all while helping to raise awareness and funds for Winston’s Wish which continues to ignite hope for bereaved young people in Solihull and throughout the UK.”

To find out more, including how to sign up, then please do visit the dedicated Firewalk webpage on the Winston’s Wish website.  

Winston’s Wish is keen to reassure bereaved young people and their families that they are welcome to chat online, email or call for free to speak to a bereavement support worker by calling 08088 020 021, emailing ask@winstonswish.org or using the live chat at winstonswish.org.