About Us.

Our Vision: That bereaved children and young people have somewhere to turn when someone significant in their lives dies.

Our Mission: To support bereaved children and young people in our area when someone significant in their lives dies. To work alongside their families and the professionals who care for them to further enhance the support they receive.

Our Values:

Reflective

Positions the needs and concerns of bereaved C & YP and creates a safe space for them to process grief with a creative support package

Compassionate

Ensuring that bereaved C & YP are treated with dignity and respect and listened to without judgement

Supportive

Supporting the professional and family communities within which C & YP live so that they in turn can provide support to bereaved C & YP

Innovative

Willing to engage with new developments in the field of childhood grief and ensure that our practice is relevant and forward thinking

Trustworthy

Building relationships that are open, honest, collaborative and C & YP-centred

Balloons:
then and now

Balloons was first conceived by a small group of healthcare professionals who didn’t have anywhere to refer bereaved children for specialist support. Start-up funding was secured from the Big Lottery in February 2007.

Balloons services are open to pre and post bereaved children and young people in Exeter, Mid and East Devon. They have experienced the death, or will experience the imminent death, of someone significant in their lives. Volunteer Grief Support Workers (GSWs) support the children and young people through their grieving and healing process.

Balloons also provides an advice service for families, schools and other professionals around death and grief. This can involve telephone support, email support and in the case of local schools can also extend to support in person where possible.

Balloons: how we can help

1:1 Grief Support for 5-25 year olds in school or at home

Supporting referrers including schools, family members and GPs

Advice service to bereaved families via telephone, email and by post

Training for Practitioners including schools, counsellors and local authority staff

Activity Days for 5-16 year olds who have received Grief Support from Balloons

Family Events where children have received Grief Support from Balloons
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