Sadly, Butterflies Bereavement charity which covers Hampshire and the Isle of Wight is finding that its funding is still due to run out due to lack of grants and donations to meet running costs.
Since launching its crowdfunding campaign back in May it has raised 20% of its target of £25,000 and the charity is extremely grateful to those who have donated so far.
We all experience bereavement and grief at some time in our lives. Many people need support to cope, and Butterflies has been there for those throughout Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in need of counselling, group friendship or just a weekly friendly phone call from a ‘buddie’. It’s a service that has been vital especially through and since COVID and the NHS and mental health organisations have come to rely on Butterflies more and more.
Butterflies is run by volunteers – with 60 people offering their services. These include professional, qualified counsellors, trainee counsellors, buddies, group co-ordinators, and admin staff. Referrals for its support come from many different organisations – the bereaved themselves, surgeries, the NHS and, more and more, mental health services. Without Butterflies there would be a significant impact on these services and of course the bereaved themselves.
Says Julie Lamont, Butterflies chair; ‘‘I can’t stress enough the urgency of the situation and the impact it will have if we close. So we are urging people to step up and donate – every little will get us closer to our target. One of our clients said it all when he thanked the charity for the support he had received and said, ‘I can now live my life again’. Since COVID we’ve seen more and more cases of people in desperate need. Many still feel great guilt and shame from not being able to see their loved one at the time of their death and we will see this for years to come.”
Butterflies donations will allow them to keep their doors open and address the long waiting list of 40 clients needing counselling. In addition to this they suggest people could help by holding coffee mornings, BBQs, cake sales and other fundraising events. People are urged to contribute via crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-butterflies-bereavement-support or the Butterflies website Butterflies Bereavement Support (bflies.org.uk) (although donating via our website will cost the charity money, the the crowdfunder site is preferred).
