A charity that helps people who have been bereaved has been given a £7,000 boost.

Cruse Bereavement Care Isle of Man was awarded the money for its Moving Forward initiative, which helps families to deal with and adjust to change in their lives while focusing on the six central needs of grief: reality, pain, remembering, support, new roles and meaning.

The charity provides confidential support for people of all ages and over the last three decades has helped more than 3,500 adults, children and young people in need in the Isle of Man.

Its aim is to promote the wellbeing of bereaved people and allow anyone bereaved to understand their grief and cope with their loss, as well as raise public awareness of the impact of grief on everyday life.

Support volunteers are drawn from various backgrounds and undergo special training in the process of grieving and working with people, including those affected by sudden death, suicide and the death of a child.

Joney Faragher, who works with children and young people for Cruse, said: ’Research in recent years shows that the most effective support for bereaved children and young people is in the family context.

’The Moving Forward project is required to help local families process a death in the family, make sense of the bereavement and to Move Forward both in their family life and as individuals.’

Amanda Cafearo, chief executive officer, added: ’A sincere thank you to Manx Lottery Trust for its support which will increase our ability to reach out to people who need our services and allow our team to work pre-emptively with bereaved families.’

Cruse’s Moving Forward project will aim:

To reduce the isolation experienced by many bereaved families

To increase confidence and resilience

Support families to deal with their grief personally and together

Help families understand death and what it means to them

Encourage and support children and families to share and understand the feelings, thoughts and individual ways of coping with changes and/or loss

Support families to find ways of remembering the person who has died and to encourage and support children and families to talk openly with each other about the person

Work together with the family to allow them to understand each other’s emotions and grief and understand that, for each family member, there are different stages in their healing

Chairman of Manx Lottery Trust Sarah Kelly said: ’Cruse offers such an invaluable service to many people in the island who know that confidential help is there if they are struggling to cope. We are glad this funding will assist the team in its work with those who are grieving and need support.’