For 10 years the children of Rotorua have had a helping hand from the Seasons programme to encourage them through some of life's hardest tests.
Nearly 1000 children who are missing someone they love have been helped by Growing Through Grief Rotorua.
The organisation facilitates small support groups of children between the ages of five and 12, giving them the chance to give a voice to their grief and loss and to take the first steps toward healing. Now research measuring the programme's effectiveness is helping the programme to reach more children. The positive findings of the study conducted by researcher Joy Tomoana were disclosed to an appreciative audience at St Lukes Anglican Church recently.
Seasons programme national coordinator Carol Goldie-Anderson gave an address detailing the findings to a group of invited guests and supporters. Among them were Rotorua District Council councillors Karen Hunt and Janet Wepa, mayoral candidate Charles Sturt, Rotorua MP Todd McClay and Mayor Kevin Winters.
The research followed 73 children, young people and families involved with Seasons recording their feedback from before the course began, over the length of the programme and after they had completed it.
Ms Goldie-Anderson said the research confirmed what they had known for years - the programme was meeting the needs and expectations of most of the families who came into contact with it.
"This research backs up our beliefs about the strength of the programme and gives us a strong platform to go forward from," she said.
Mr Winters congratulated the Growing Through Grief team for their efforts and offered suggestions for expanding the service.
Plans are already under way to expand by providing an adult support group for next year as well as offering the existing programme to adolescents.
The team has also undergone training to offer a specific programme to help children dealing with a family member or loved one's life threatening illness.
Sadly there is a constant demand for such services within the Rotorua community but it is Growing Through Grief's mission to assure all children coping with grief and loss in our community will not have to do it alone.
For more information about the Seasons Programme contact Seasons co-ordinators Gaelyn Brake and Karisma Vala at Growing Through Grief Rotorua on (07) 350 3384 or by email at gtgseasons@xtra.co.nz.
From the community: Grief support stretches even further
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