ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

THE GOOD GRIEF PROJECT was created by Jane Harris and Jimmy Edmonds In honour and memory of their son Joshua (he died suddenly in a road accident in Vietnam 15 years ago) we are dedicating our annual fundraising challenge to his memory.

ABOUT THE CHALLENGE

As in previous years Good Grief Challenges are open to any bereaved parent or sibling as well as their immediate friends and/or family.

This year, and in honour of the 15 years since our son died we have gathered together a team of 15 intrepid individuals to take on THE DARTMOOR 15 HIGH TORS CHALLENGE.

IT'S NO WALK IN THE PARK

In order to complete the challenge, we will be undertaking a 20 mile trek over some of Dartmoor’s wildest terrain (much of it off-piste!) climbing and descending some 2000 metres of elevation as we check off 15 of its lesser-known but highest tors (anything over 300 metres) - all in under 10 hours.

THINK WE CAN DO IT?

There’s no doubt it is a challenge. Just like grief is a challenge - a bit like the topography of DARTMOOR – its wild and rugged and there are many ups and downs, - you need stamina and tenacity to navigate its unpredictability. But it also has a strange and awesome beauty with many welcome surprises - just like grief!

And it's our collective way of honouring our children, all of whom have died too soon. It’s about coming together in a joint enterprise to share our grief in an active way – not just to raise funds for the charity, but to walk, talk and find a renewed confidence in doing something really physical, quite demanding but also inspiring.

You can help us realise this goal by donating to THE GOOD GRIEF PROJECT, dedicated to helping the bereaved find new, active and creative ways of expressing their grief. All funds we raise will go to helping less advantaged bereaved families attend our Active Grief Weekend retreats.

ABOUT THE GOOD GRIEF PROJECT & THE ACTIVE GRIEF WEEKEND RETREATS:

The aim of the retreats is to support the bereaved as they look for new and creative ways of expressing their feelings as they come to terms with the death of a son or daughter. The weekends are open to any bereaved parent or sibling, no matter how the child died or how long ago. During the weekend participants have the opportunity to take part in three different sessions - photography, creative writing and physical activity. No previous experience is necessary and their is absolutely no requirement to join in. There is plenty of time just to be, to get to know other parents or to find your own space.

WATCH THE VIDEO

GRIEF IS NOT A PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED. ITS AN EXPERIENCE TO BE SUPPORTED WITNESSED AND HELD

Approximately 6000 young people under the age of 25 die in the UK every year leaving up to 50,000 newly bereaved close relatives and friends. Recent studies have shown that the social, psychological and financial costs of grief can be extreme. Many bereaved families report that over time they are expected to move on or put the death of their child behind them. This often results in isolation for the griever and anxieties and misunderstandings for those who care for them, an increase in alcoholism, marriage break up, loneliness, depression, poor job satisfaction - all of which amounts to a considerable but avoidable burden on the health service and on society in general.

GRIEF I S A CREATIVE PROCESS

It costs approximately £14,000 to put on one of these weekends and we subsidise the cost of a place heavily . Run exclusively by the bereaved for the bereaved our residential grief retreats provide an important respite from a need to pretend - we work from an understanding that grief is almost by definition a creative process and invite our guests to take part in a number of creative workshops. The retreats are reserved solely for bereaved parents and siblings so while there is true companionship to be found in sharing what some would say is the worst loss, many who join us are understandably quite nervous when they first arrive. With your help we are able to guide them in finding new ways of honouring their child or sibling and bringing a renewed meaning and confidence to their lives.

Thank you for your support.

Jimmy and Jane and all at THE GOOD GRIEF PROJECT

VISIT OUR WEBSITE