Bringing Hope To Bereaved Children in Galway

Providing Hope Through Loss To Children

Galway children's bereavement charity, Hope Space, has provided vital support to up to 50 children aged 4 to 17, helping them cope with loss through its dedicated listening service since its inception in March of last year. 

In the last three months, the charity has earned two prestigious national awards: one from the Pride of Place award—nominated by Galway City Council—and, most recently, a national volunteering award for its team of volunteers. We spoke to volunteer and board member Toni O’Doherty from Bushypark to learn more about the charity and what inspired her to get involved.

Giving Back

 “I was looking to get involved within my community and to give back,” Toni explained. 

 “The charity spoke to me as a children’s grief support service. I think all of us, through our lives, have experienced grief in one way or another. It’s something we are all exposed to. For a small minority of children, they need a bit more help to cope with that bereavement.”

Hope Space provides a free one-to-one listening service, delivered by trained volunteers, who help children and young people to address their emotions around grief. Toni emphasised that it’s not counselling, but rather a listening service tailored to the needs of children who have experienced loss. 

A Gap In Bereavement Support Services

The charity works with children aged 4 to 17 and operates out of the SCULL Enterprise Centre. It was born out of a desire to fill a gap in bereavement support services in Galway.

 Toni shared the story of one of the founding board members: 

“One of our Board of Trustees lost her husband a number of years ago. One of her children needed a bit more support, and when she went looking, there wasn’t anything like this available. 

“In Limerick, the Children’s Grief Centre was set up about 20 years ago by Sister Helen. They are a really great resource for the community there, but there was nothing similar in Galway.”

The Hope Space team initially came together during lockdown to explore how they could provide support to grieving children. 

“Through that, they worked to develop the service we have today,” she said, “training volunteers in active listening, and we have had great support from our community.” 

Early Intervention

The organisation provides a critical early intervention service that helps children express emotions around grief, improves coping skills and self-esteem, and facilitates positive parent-child relationships. It encourages open communication between parents and children while also reducing parental stress and worry.

The service has since gained recognition for its impact, demonstrated by the national awards it has received. Toni spoke about the charity’s achievements and the positive feedback from families. 

“We’ve been meeting with children since March of last year, and we have helped between 40 and 50 people in that timeframe," she said. 

“Sometimes it’s multiple children in the same family, and sometimes it’s just one child. The feedback has been really positive from the parents and the children themselves.”

As part of the Pride of Place award process, judges interviewed some parents and children supported by the service. 

“Some of our parents gave testimonials, and indeed, one of our children came in and spoke," she said. "I think that really swayed the judges when they heard the passion from the volunteers.”

While Hope Space currently supports children bereaved through the death of a loved one, they are exploring ways to expand their services. 

“We are not ready yet to address separation and divorce, but it’s something we are actively exploring,” Toni noted.

Hope Space continues to grow and make a difference in the lives of grieving children and their families, thanks to the dedication of volunteers like Toni and the generous support of the Galway community.

Funding Challenges

Funding remains a challenge for the organisation, as it is not state-funded.

 “It is purely funded by donations and volunteers," explained Toni.

 "We now have two staff members who provide admin support and a coordinator who runs the operations and day-to-day service. That’s been fantastic. Having those people on board has helped us to step up,” she said.

Christmas Card Fundraiser

To support their work, Hope Space has collaborated with local businesses to develop a Christmas card pack that will raise vital funds for the charity. They can be purchased in O’Connors Centra in Salthill and at the Salthill post office. 

 “We were very fortunate to work with O’Connors Centra in Salthill. We have beautiful Christmas cards for sale. Inside, there are five of one design and three singles of different designs—a nice mix, and all Galway-based,” she said. 

For more log on to https://www.hopespace.ie/