Supporting bereaved families
10 January 2020
Today the Dianne Oxberry Trust announced that they have gifted £15,000 to Once Upon a Smile, a Manchester-based organisation that supports families immediately after the death of a loved one.
Exactly one year on from the death of beloved BBC broadcaster Dianne Oxberry, the Trust established by her husband and friends have announced their second funding “gift” since launching in May last year.
Today, the sum of £15,000 has been gifted to the bereavement charity Once Upon A Smile, a Manchester-based organisation that supports families immediately after the death of a loved one. (This follows on from DOT’s first funding gift of £43,000 which was given to an Ovarian Cancer Research group at Oxford University last October.)
Dianne’s husband and DOT founder Ian Hindle wanted to give something back to the organisation that has emotionally supported him and his children since the devastating loss of Dianne to Ovarian Cancer one year ago:
“Once Upon A Smile have supported my family for the past year, so I’ve seen up close the amazing work that they do for so many people in the North West whose lives are turned upside down by the loss of a family member, as ours was when Dianne died so suddenly.
They have been so helpful in educating me and other parents in a similar position, about the effects of bereavement on children and it’s been a place our kids can go where they are amongst peers who totally understand their situation.
I must admit I was shocked by the lack of grief support on offer, especially for children, in the immediate aftermath of Dianne passing away. Many organisations insist on a “waiting period” of several months before they will step in and even then it can be fairly limited in terms of the length of time they are able to support families.
Thankfully, we found OUAS who were there for us the moment we needed help, just as they were there to help the families of the Manchester bombing victims and are still supporting them today. Managing grief is not a quick fix so hopefully with this funding gift from us, OUAS can continue to support families who desperately need their help to navigate through the worst of times.”
OUAS Bereavement Development Manager Kelly Willison expressed her gratitude to DOT, saying:
“The £15,000 from the Dianne Oxberry Trust will be huge for Once Upon A Smile. With the influx of referrals we receive on a daily basis, the money will help us recruit a new member of staff to help us reach out to more children and young people.”
Going forward, the Dianne Oxberry Trust are appealing for organisations, clubs and companies to adopt DOT as their chosen charity for all fundraising activities in 2020. From sponsored walks to school fairs, and coffee mornings to marathons, please get onboard with DOT for 2020. Check out our Facebook page or email info@dianneoxberrytrust.org or simply Donate to DOT.
Media Enquiries: JackieBrambles@dianneoxberrytrust.org
