The Compassionate Friends is a national charity of bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents, dedicated to the support and care of other similarly bereaved family members, who have suffered the death of a child or children of any age and from any cause. Many people who have suffered the loss of a child feel a bond with others in the same situation and wish to extend the hand of friendship. The Cadent Foundation awarded £2,500 to support the work of bereaved parent volunteers in providing help and assistance to other bereaved parents in the West Midlands.

Stephen Armstrong, Head of Fundraising for The Compassionate Friends explains what this means. “When a child dies, the shock and disbelief parents suffer is overwhelming.  The Covid-19 pandemic has added an extra layer of trauma to what is already an unimaginably difficult time. Grief is made more intense by the current limitations that may mean parents were unable to hold their children in their last moments or say ‘goodbye’ in the way they would wish.  

“The peer-to-peer support offered by our bereaved parent volunteers has been more important now than ever.  The funding from the Cadent Foundation has helped us support our volunteers throughout the West Midlands to ensure they can continue to offer the informal support and friendship, online and over the telephone, which is invaluable to those who have suffered the loss of a child. 

“It has also enabled us to deliver online training, which is crucial right now to reach more volunteers who otherwise would not have been able to attend due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.”

The Cadent Foundation awarded £5,000 to the Hutton Daily Bread Café project to support the work of food donations to people in need in Brentwood, Essex.

The Daily Bread Café is a charitable project run by Hutton Parish Church but relies on donations and voluntary giving.  It was set up in 2019 by a group of volunteers to distribute food produce to people in need and to combat food wastage.

Although the charity was established pre COVID-19, the pandemic has had a huge impact on the demand for even basic food supplies, forcing the charity to move from a Tuesday afternoon Café to a 6-day week operation, serving around 1000 local households with food provision since the start of the pandemic.  Jason Manning, Parish Treasurer explains how the grant helped the charity: “The wonderful grant from the Cadent Foundation has funded a new freezer, fridge, dishwasher and range cooker. We are a Church based organisation and there is a misconception that the Church is wealthy, it is not, and the Diocese of Chelmsford is facing a multi-million-pound deficit. It is therefore vital that projects like this establish their own funding stream.

​​​​​​​“Raising over £2000 through selling cream teas to the community, this equipment is part of our strategy to create a not for profit social enterprise through the Daily Bread Café. The equipment that you have provided has helped us offer support, food and a warm welcome to our local community especially those in need or who are vulnerable. It has also allowed us to secure the future of the project with the safe storage and preparation of food for our community.

“Your support and generosity is not only helping now but will have an ongoing legacy which will mean that we can continue to operate safely for many years to come. We rely on an army of volunteers as well as the goodwill of local supermarkets, so it is wonderful that the Cadent Foundation have recognised and supported us with your generous donation.”
 

Residents at Bridgeside Lodge Care Home in Islington where able to dance the day away with live music, courtesy of the Spitz Charitable Trust and a £4830 grant from the Cadent Foundation.

The Spitz Charitable Trust aims to improve the quality of life of vulnerable elders, with complex long-term disabilities, through live music-making recreational activities. Minimising isolation, enhancing well-being and improving community connections.

The charity applied for a grant with the Cadent Foundation to support their post-lockdown project ‘Music and deep-healing at Bridgeside Lodge Care Home’. Care home communities have significantly suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic and have experienced an unusually high amount of trauma, isolation and loss.
Live music has proven benefits for physical and mental health, from heart disease to dementia.

Kate Millett, Assistant Charity Coordinator, said: "The grant that we received from the Cadent Foundation helped enable us to host (socially distanced) deep-healing, outdoor music events throughout the summer at the care home. The elderly residents would sit and talk about their lives and experiences and our musicians would help them to write a song, which would then be performed at the next event.  One of the residents told us that she listens to her song every single night, and that it has helped her incredibly.

“The benefits that this grant has provided are invaluable, it has allowed us to create a real sense of hope, love and community among the residents, staff and families.

"The events have really connected people and raised spirits through such an unusual time. Not only do we provide care and support to the residents, but we’ve been able to extend this to bereaved families, and staff. Tributes have been held in memory of residents that sadly passed away.”
 

£2,500 was awarded to The Giving Hands Mission in Brierley Hill, Dudley to help local individuals and families living in poverty and deprivation.

Operating in one of the most deprived boroughs in England, The Giving Hands Mission supports the homeless, the poor, those with severe debt problems, domestic violence survivors and many more people that find themselves in a daily struggle due to the hardship that they face. 

George Peter, Project Manager, explains how the funding has been used to help local vulnerable people by providing them with food, toiletries and other necessary support during the COVID-19 pandemic.  He said “We have experienced a significant increase on a week-by-week basis for food bank and home delivery services, particularly because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  Your grant has played a significant role and enabled us to address the immediate needs of local vulnerable people.  

“Those who have now lost their sources of income and means of livelihood, and all those who are currently struggling are benefiting from the grant. It has helped to put smiles on the faces of our service users who include elderly residents, local families living in poverty, a few NHS Staff and key workers, carers, support workers and victims of domestic violence.  It has helped them weather the storm and it is getting people back on their feet again.”