BALLOONS, a local children and young people’s bereavement support charity, is thrilled to be working in partnership with The Island Trust and The Exeter to give bereaved teenagers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take to the waves in April this year.

A group of excited teenagers will join experienced Island Trust sailing support staff in Plymouth, and together they will set off on their sailing adventure!

Balloons supports children and young people in Exeter, Mid and East Devon when they have experienced the death of someone significant in their lives.

Balloons also supports children and young people when a parent or sibling has been given a terminal diagnosis, helping them to face a very difficult future in the run up to, and the aftermath of, the death.

The one-to-one support is bespoke, responding to the unique circumstances of each individual child or young person, helping them to manage their grief.

The Island Trust provides life-enhancing residential and day-sailing activities for young people with special needs, disabilities, and those experiencing hardship and deprivation.

This is the first time that bereaved teenagers, all of whom have had one-to-one support from Balloons, will have the opportunity to take part in this activity.

It is a fantastic addition to the already very popular programme of activity days for bereaved youngsters. The Balloons Activity Day Programme creates opportunities for bereaved youngsters to take part in activities to enhance their personal sense of well-being alongside others who have had similar bereavement experiences, reducing feelings of isolation and enabling bereaved youngsters to physically challenge themselves in a supported environment.

Many bereaved youngsters experience feelings of exclusion in group situations and suffer from a loss of confidence when tackling new or challenging situations. The Activity Days act as a springboard in lessening those feelings.

Jo Overton-Pitts, Office Systems and Events manager at Balloons, said: “Our activity days are a real highlight for the young people we support, and for the staff and volunteers who run them.

“The tall ships experience is a chance for young people from varied backgrounds to work together as a team and learn new skills. Some of these young people have attended activity days and family events with Balloons before, whilst for others this will be their first activity day. All have experienced the death of someone close to them in their young lives.”

The Exeter, a well-respected insurance company based in the South West, is proud to be supporting the work of Balloons in 2017, and will be sponsoring the young sailors as they set out to sea.

Becky Penrose, Chair, Community and Charity Committee of The Exeter, said: “We are so pleased with our 2017 partnership with Balloons. Balloons provides vital support to bereaved children and young people when they are at their most vulnerable.

“Supporting them to do this work means a lot to us as a company. When they asked us to sponsor their Adventure Sailing Day for bereaved teenagers, we jumped at the opportunity.”

To learn more about the work of Balloons, visit the website: www.balloonscharity.co.uk or contact the office by telephone on 01392 826052 or email: [email protected] .

Alan Quick