Compassion Spring 2022

Spring 2022 - Compassion | www.tcf.org.uk 6 Thoughts from the Chair Dear Compassionate Friends The last time I gave my ‘Thoughts from the Chair’ was in the summer of last year. We were just starting to come out of the winter and spring 2021 lockdown and were told that we were now well on the road to recovery. I remember feeling and expressing my optimism that after over a year of pandemic life we were going to get back to some sense of normality. Well it did not exactly work out as planned. We were hit in late 2021 with the new Omicron variant and the so- called ‘Plan B’ was put in place. This has had a knock on effect on all of us including how we as TCF have provided our services. Throughout it all,TCF has continued to do all that it has done for the last 52 years, providing bereaved parents and siblings with peer to peer support and so much more. Now, a little way into 2022, things may not be exactly as we perhaps thought they would be, but we have come a long way. It is great to see that so many support groups have managed to get back to in-person meetings. We kept the lifeline of peer to peer support going by holding our support groups and specialist groups on-line. However, as good as those meetings were (and still are), they cannot, in my view, compare with actually being in the same room with other bereaved parents and siblings. Our expectation is that as we go forward into spring and summer that more and more groups will continue or start to meet in person. We are also so very pleased that we again have our first in person retreat. This weekend (11-14 February) will see about 40 or more bereaved parents meeting at Ammerdown House near Bath for our retreat for newly bereaved parents. They will be supported by 14 of our fantastic volunteers. I hope you do not mind if I do not name you all, but know that you have the trustees special thanks for the role that you will play during this retreat and the very special help that I know you will give to all the bereaved parents attending. Andrew Miller with his son Fabian