Who We Are
Hi I’m Vicki and we set up Touchstones in November 2011 to offer local children and young people the support they need to be able to face the loss of someone very special to them. Over the years we have worked with over 1200 children and it has been a privilege and a joy to do so.
We know what a difference support makes when you are really struggling.
We do most of the one-to-one support, both in schools and at home!
We have met so many amazing children and young people, coping with the death of people they love through illness, heart attacks, accidents, suicide and many other causes, and it has been a huge privilege that they have shared their stories and journeys with us, shared their feelings and had fun too.
Vicki has a MA in Counselling Children and Young people, and is a member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists.
Prior to setting up Touchstones, Vicki worked for 5 years a Bereavement Counsellor for Noah’s Ark Trust.
Vicki previously worked as a secondary school teacher for 24 years, and was a Samaritan for 38 years.
Touchstones Child Bereavement Support is managed by a Board of Trustees. The trustees are;
- Sharon Forrest
- Wendy Townsend
- Fran Wedgbury
- Star-Louise Robbins
They run these days and ensure each child and young person has a special personal experience but one within the group of others, who also know exactly what loss and bereavement feels like and does to you.
Our volunteers are passionate about what they do, knowing how transformational these days are for children. They count it as a great privilege to do this work and they are brilliant at it – really experienced, hugely understanding and sufficiently mad to be make sure you will have loads of fun.
Locally we work alongside many professional partners including CAMHS, Children’s Services, Early Help, Family Support Workers, schools and other professionals to ensure joined up support of children. These organisations all help us reach as wide a range of children as we can.
We can support these organizations and their staff with training and we refer back to them when children require additional support with non-bereavement issues.
We are available as contributors to multi-disciplinary support meetings like Child in Need meetings
Touchstones is a member of BARN (Bromsgrove and Redditch Network for voluntary sector organisations) and we have taken advantage of courses provided by them.
Touchstones is a member of the Childhood Bereavement Network.
While we are a separate organisation, we do work in close relationship with our sister bereavement organisations in adjoining parts of Worcestershire and Herefordshire – including;
- Footsteps – in South Worcestershire,
- Kemp Hospice – in Wyre Forest