The Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA) is donating £10,000 to its nominated charity, Grief Encounter.
The donation follows the CHSA’s Annual Charity Gala Ball, held in April this year. Since 2019 the CHSA has raised £33,000 for Grief Encounter as its nominated charity.
Grief Encounter supports grieving children, young people and their families to find hope, healing and build resilience following the death of someone close.
Andy Watts, Head of Fundraising (Philanthropy) at Grief Encounter said: “Our aim is to walk by the side of every bereaved child or young person during their darkest moments. We make sure their grief is not the end of their story.
“Grief Encounter relies on fundraising for almost all of our income. Support from partners like the CHSA is vital to help us support grieving children and young people during the darkest, most challenging days of their young lives.
“The donation from CHSA will support Grief Encounter in its mission to give every child and young person access to the best possible support following the death of someone close. Our highly skilled team offer different types of support designed to meet the wide-ranging needs of grieving children and families. This might include one to one therapy, group workshops, residential camps and tailored information and resources.”
One child in every UK classroom will experience the death of someone close by the time they reach 16 years old. Children suffering the death of a parent or sibling find their lives changed forever; their grief and sadness often being compounded by isolation and fear, which can have a significant impact on a child’s mental health. Studies have shown bereaved children can face long-term social and emotional difficulties if they do not receive the right support at the right time, following the death of someone close.
Lorcan Mekitarian, chair of the CHSA said: “We are incredibly proud of our association with Grief Encounter. The charity makes a huge difference to young people struggling with the impact of the loss of someone close.
“Giving something back to our community is in the DNA of the CHSA and we are very grateful to our members for their continued support of and contribution to our fund-raised activities.”