The Compassionate Friends (UK) 11 Remembering through giving There are many organisations, big and small, that would appreciate any support we could give or raise for them. Our child may have been a strong supporter of a cause, such as the welfare of animals or children living in poverty. We might want to support a charity or hospice that helped us or our child during their illness, or an organisation that is doing research into the condition from which they died. We may also consider organisations such as The Compassionate Friends (TCF) which are supporting us in our grief. We could: • Organise a small fundraising event, such as a cake sale, sports day or something with friends such as a brunch or dinner party. • Take part in or organise a sponsored walk, run, cycle, football match or motorcycle event in our child's memory. If we have the means and abilities, we could consider setting up a trust fund or fundraising page. • Create items for a hospice, such as knitted shawls. • Set up a table with items for sale, such as craft, books or cakes, at craft fairs. • Sponsor the printing of a TCF leaflet, with a dedication to our child included. Giving our time We may prefer to give our time rather than money, whether it is through a one-off volunteering opportunity or a longer-term arrangement with a charity. • We could raise awareness via a message/post on social media about a particular cause, or through distributing information flyers. • It is helpful to find out about the variety of ways we could volunteer. Examples include helpline work, befriending support, helping support groups or writing an article for a charity. • We might decide to reach out to a friend, a family member or someone else we know who is going through a similar experience to the one our child may have faced, and use this as an opportunity to help someone closer to home. Useful Links tcf.org.uk/fundraise - fundraise for TCF. easyfundraising.org.uk - has 130 fundraising ideas to help you raise money. Useful Links getvolunteering.co.uk - search for a volunteering opportunity. theguardian.com - Five ways to turn a social media campaign into a movement.
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