It is the only service on the island supporting children and young people who are grieving the loss of someone close. The Sunflower Project has been operating for 12 years under the Youth Commission, and serves around 25 children individually every week, between its three members of staff, Annie Sharman, Alisha Crocker, and part-time member Hannah Robilliard.
‘Death is almost like a taboo subject,’ said Miss Crocker, who is team lead for the service.
‘But actually, sadly, everyone’s going to experience it at some point. And I think a lot of the struggles we see is because it’s such a shock, and those children don’t understand anything, and often feel like they can’t ask.
‘We provide one-to-one emotional support and also host events like monthly therapeutic residential trips and summer camps.’
The project’s funding comes from community donations and businesses. At the end of every one-to-one session, the child is given a teddy wearing a Sunflower Project guernsey, made by Channel Island Toys. Miss Crocker has worked at the service for seven years, and said the teddies were always a welcome comfort.
She said the best part about her job is seeing the youngsters blossom.
‘It’s really lovely that a lot of the children do stay with us, and we get to see them grow – from buds, our sunflowers bloom,’ she said.
‘The big thing we say when we meet a family, is that “the worst has already happened” – it can only go up from here. And I keep that in my mind. It helps me as a professional working in this role, too.
‘Of course, we want that magic wand to make everything better immediately, but grief is a long process, so it’s really important to build connections between people who have lost someone, to make sure they know they’re not alone in their grief and there’s also people here to support them.’
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