Local shoe shop donates comfort boxes for bereaved children thanks to Pavers Foundation Grant
A York branch of Pavers has donated £2,000 to St Leonard’s Hospice to provide comfort boxes for grieving children.
Joanne Alexander and Becky Hill, who both work at the Pavers shop in Coppergate, nominated St Leonard’s Hospice to receive a grant from the Pavers Foundation to provide the boxes, after being amazed at the care the Hospice provided to two of their loved ones.
Comfort boxes are used when a child or young person has an adult in their life cared for by St Leonard’s Hospice, either through its Hospice@Home community service or in its In-Patient Unit. They are given at a time when life can feel very frightening, uncertain and emotionally overwhelming and are used to provide wellbeing care before and after the death of a loved one.
Bereavement services coordinator at St Leonard’s Hospice, Sara Heron, explained: “In a sense, comfort boxes offer an opportunity for children and young people to be seen and heard, to know they matter to those who are very ill or those caring for them. Grieving starts before the person dies and you don’t always realise you’re grieving. Often children appear OK but they have a lot going on inside. The boxes give children a voice.
“Our family support team receives requests for comfort boxes from staff and family members. We order the contents, store them and put them together to give to families. These kinds of boxes have grown in popularity, especially through Covid-19, as a way of learning to live with a family member’s illness and receiving some form of emotional comfort, which is so very important.”
The boxes may contain books, note pads, and a cuddly toy as well as other items that connect to their loved one. Family members may wish to place something in the comfort boxes that they know will help their children feel supported and nurtured.
Joanne’s sister-in-law, Clare Alexander, and Becky’s mother-in-law, Anne Hill, were both cared for by the Hospice before their deaths in February 2021 and April 2019 respectively.
The pair put in a joint application to the Pavers Foundation, which are dedicated to creating meaningful impact on local communities and regularly donate to charities which are impactful in areas of health, education and community.
Becky said: “We really appreciate the hard work the team at the Hospice do. They make an unbearable time so much easier. It was reassuring and comforting to know our loved ones were looked after so well.”
“Anne was pain-free for the first time when she came to the Hospice and the one-to-one care she received was outstanding. The work the Hospice does is amazing. They made a very difficult time so much easier for her and us. Anne looked wonderful when she was here, she got some zest back. It’s the attention to detail which makes such a difference, it makes you forget the bad and remember the good. We will forever be in their debt.”
Becky added: “It was hard enough for us, but it doesn’t bear thinking about what children go through, so we’re delighted we’ve been able to contribute to these comfort boxes and give something back to help the Hospice.”
The boxes have already been distributed to children who need them and, thanks to the donation from the Pavers Foundation, the Hospice is able to support many more children and young people in this way.
