This September, I am running the Great North Run 2023 for The Bodie Hodges Foundation, supporting families bereaved of a child.

They do such amazing work, and I want to support their vision, which is to give hope to families bereaved of a child by providing a range of services that support grieving families and encourage them to rebuild and remember.

I am not a natural runner, and to complete the 13 mile race will be a test of my commitment and determination, yet it is a way that I can contribute to a charity that it is important for me to support.

As a therapist, I find comfort in knowing that the money I raise will be able to provide both emotional, and specific counselling support for those families, in an area that I cannot personally offer.

They provide a range of professional bereavement services that support families at the darkest time of their grief, but they also help to empower families that have been bereaved of a child. They rely on voluntary donations to provide their services free of charge so that no bereaved families are left to grieve alone.

Families can access support with organ donation, 1-1 early therapeutic support and counselling services for up to 2 years after the death of their child, and they also run a range of peer support groups

The Bodie Hodges Foundation provide memory bags filled with grief resources for families following the death of a sibling or for those born after the death, and also sibling support; - gentle 1-1 sessions with siblings which help them to understand their grief and support memory making.

Families can also access a host of free grief resources including workbooks and videos to offer additional support. So now you know about the amazing work they do.... please cheer me on!

#bemorefreddie