Stories and Testimonials

My name’s Charlotte and when I was just 10 years old my eldest brother Daniel, who was just turned 20, was tragically killed in a car accident. This was a massive shock to me, my family and anybody who had known and met him.

He was loving and caring and was a role model in my eyes. I fought for his attention just like any other little sister would. I found it extremely confusing and difficult to get my head around what had happened in such a short amount of time. This is when I turned to bereavement counselling. At first I wasn’t too keen on the idea of letting a stranger know my inner thoughts but I built a real friendship with Vicki and I and everyone else could see an improvement.

5 years on and I am now in my last year of high school and I am a more down to earth and mature person at the end of my experience. My brother’s memory is still strongly remembered and loved by anyone who was graced with his presence. I wrote this song for him because he still means so much to me. We all love and miss you Dan.

My son watched his friend drowned last year and found it very difficult to come to terms with as he couldn’t save him, Touchstones helped him greatly through his trauma and they still do. Without their help I fear my son would have taken another turn in his life for the worse. I cannot thank there team enough for their ongoing help. It took a great deal of pressure off of his shoulders to now he wasn’t to blame and help was there and still is if he needs it’.

The day after my husband’s death I went to see my GP….I asked how on earth do I tell me children….my GP gave me a contact number for Touchstones. I called the number and left a message but didn’t feel confident I would get a response. Less than an hour later Vicki Quarton had called me. We talked for around 2 hours from memory and she gave me the most incredible advice. From that moment on she was there for us all whenever we needed – always providing support and advice. When I came to meet her I just wanted to hug her and cry….she went on to support my youngest son regularly in school and was always at the end of the phone when I needed. Vicki also introduced us to another local family who have been through the same experience and we have gone on to become firm friends and support each other……just brilliant!’

It is like a third arm to hold those who suffer a up and without people like those who belong to Touchstones I would not like to think what would happen to those many families it has helped. I can honestly say these people are in the top list of emergency services as without them there would be a greater strain on the NHS with a lot of mental health issues.

Both my children were struggling with the loss of their nan. They struggled to express their feelings successfully and to accept and understand that they didn’t have to be sad all the time. It was impacting on their quality of life, sleep and education. Touchstones enabled them to find ways to express themselves, move through the grieve process and use their creativity to develop happy memories of their nan.’

I can highly recommend Touchstones to any parent of children struggling with loss and bereavement, they offered my kids an amazing insight and experience that allowed them to move on. The lantern walk was also beautiful for us as a family and a lovely way to celebrate and remember a special person THANKYOU X

My youngest daughter attended the Touchstones Day. She still talks about it to this very day. For her it was a day that enabled her to share her experiences with other children and to recognise that she wasn’t the only child that had experienced the pain of losing a loved one or parent. She also felt it was a day where she could talk openly about her Dad without upsetting others and enjoyed sharing her stories about him with the children and adults that were there on the day. The Touchstones Day helped her to be more open and honest about her thoughts, feelings and emotions which she very much needed to do in order for her to begin moving forward.