Teenagers who are grieving following the death of a parent or other close family member will be given help and support at school, thanks to a grant from the Masonic Charitable Foundation via East Lancashire Freemasons.
The £17,500 grant to Bolton Hospice will equip teachers and secondary school staff with the tools and confidence to enhance the support they offer to pupils.
The grant follows the success of the award-winning project ‘Supporting Families & Children Through Loss, Grief and Bereavement’, as it was recognised that there was a need to ensure similar support for teenagers.
These young people would not normally have access to hospice bereavement support but this project will enable the hospice to enhance their wellbeing through training and supporting school staff.
Jenny Gallagher, Clinical Nurse Director at Bolton Hospice said:
“We’re very grateful to East Lancashire Freemasons for their generous grant which will allow us to train and educate local teachers to support pupils who have lost a parent or other close member of their family. There is a very limited amount of support available currently for young people coping with loss and bereavement; having the means to continue to deliver services which help to support the professionals who are in such close contact with these young people during their journey is extremely important, and means that the grieving process can be a healthy one during the already highly challenging and emotionally charged stage of life which is adolescence.”
Steve Clark from East Lancashire Freemasons said:
“Bolton Hospice are doing wonderful work helping young people in our community. It’s a great privilege to be able to help them provide support for teenagers at what is the most difficult time of their young lives.”
 
About Bolton Hospice

• Our consultant-led team of doctors, nurses and other professional staff provide expert care and support for local people with terminal or life-limiting illnesses and their families, in the hospice and at home.
• We care for patients throughout their illness, helping to improve their wellbeing and quality of life. We also provide compassionate, dedicated and dignified care for patients at the end of their life.
• We’re an independent charity mainly funded by the people of Bolton. To continue providing free care and support we need to raise £3.7 million a year through donations, fundraising and gifts in wills.
• We have an inpatient unitwith single bedrooms with ensuite facilities. We provide planned day therapy for patients on 4 days a week, from Tuesday to Friday. We hold consultant-led outpatient clinicsat the hospice every week. We also provide a Hospice at Home service where patients’ are cared for in the comfort of their own homes.

Enquiries:
For more information please contact Marketing Manager, Felicity Ransom on 01204 663055  ext. 1 or email felicity.ransom@boltonhospice.org
 
About the Masonic Charitable Foundation
The Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) is one of the largest grant-making charities in the country. Funded entirely through the generosity of freemasons, their families and friends, the MCF awards millions of pounds each year to local and national charities that help vulnerable people, advance medical research and provide opportunities for young people. The MCF also helps to fund vital services such as hospices and air ambulances and regularly contributes to worldwide appeals for disaster relief.  In total, MCF support helps to improve the lives of thousands of people every year in England, Wales and internationally. As well as providing grants to charities, the MCF supports Masonic families with a financial, health or family need. Visit www.mcf.org.uk
 For further information about the Masonic Charitable Foundation, please contact Guy Roberts, Press Officer (groberts@mcf.org.uk  |0203146 3311)