TCF News, Issue 107 Summer 2021

Summer 2021 - TCF Newsletter | www.tcf.org.uk 7 dies you feel so isolated. I put little bits of paper in the book as a bookmark and again can clearly remember thinking “I feel like that” and the rest is history. Can you tell us a little about your volunteer role(s) with TCF? Initially I decided that I would like to be a Local Contact. I travelled down to The Salvation Army Headquarters in Oxford Street in March 2012 and took part in one day’s training. There was a Helpline Volunteer flyer on the chair; with that I decided that I might like to be a Helpline Volunteer and after attending the Helpline Training, I become a Helpline Volunteer in 2013. A request was made at the 2013 National Gathering for a Regional Co-ordinator for the North East of England covering Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and Yorkshire and I duly became the Regional Co-ordinator. Finally, I became a Group Contact in roughly 2015/2016 and facilitate the Hull / York Group which currently runs online. My final role within TCF is that I am the National Co- Ordinator for parents, grandparents and siblings who have been bereaved by a Road Traffic Incident. I also facilitate zoom meetings for those who are bereaved by an RTI, and am extremely ably supported by Barbara, who is a wonderful and supportive co-facilitator. What’s the best thing about volunteering for TCF? TCF has helped me tremendously and, as we all know, it is the only charity that offers peer to peer support. We all have a unique relationship with our child and our bereavement is also very individual, but if another parent says that they are having a bad day then you do have a greater understanding. We are all in a club, that by choice we would certainly not choose to be in, but we are in this club for the rest of our lives. I have met some fabulous people through TCF and many people, myself included, feel that TCF is like another family, an especially important family and members of this extended family are so supportive. I feel exceptionally privileged to speak and meet with bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings and hopefully ease their way along this dreadful path that all bereaved parents have to tread. What has been the most challenging? The odd hoax call to the Helpline, not being able to see and hug bereaved parents because of the covid restrictions, and the cancellation of the supportive weekends. Are there any areas of volunteering you would like to develop? No thank you, as I am just a bit busy! How do you relax and recharge? I love travelling and have been to many major European cities taking in the sights, enjoying the local food and attending the opera when possible. I enjoy Pilates, gardening, classical music, cooking and scrapbooking, and under normal situations meeting people. I also very much enjoy being a TCF volunteer. Nick Leake’s tree