Supporting brothers and sisters with sibling days
Sibling days are really important for the brothers and sisters of children who access the hospice. They are a chance for them to have fun and meet others who may have experienced similar challenges and feelings.
Naomi House & Jacksplace is here to support the whole family. Lots of the children and young adults who visit our hospices have brothers and sisters. Each of them are on their own journey of understanding and often need support to help them process all the different feelings that they and their family are going through. We provide different types of support to help brothers and sisters, and our sibling days are great opportunities for brothers and sisters to play and chat with other children who are going through similar experiences. The sibling days are varied and include outdoor activities, craft sessions and parties.
Our 9 year old daughter, Harriet, has been attending the sibling days for a few years now. Her brother died when he was a baby and Naomi House & Jacksplace have not only supported us as parents, but they have been there for Harriet too. It gives Harriet a sense of belonging when she meets up with children in a similar situation and it has given her the confidence to talk about her brother Edward with her friends, even when she might not feel she can talk to us, her parents, for fear of upsetting us. She enjoys the many different activity days and treasures the things she brings home from the craft sessions. She thinks of Naomi House & Jacksplace as a kind of comfort blanket, knowing that it is a safe space. As a family, we will be forever grateful for the support they have given us.
As a charity, we depend on the support of our local community to help us deliver our plans and services. Spread Some Sunshine are a charity whose mission is to spread smiles to children facing adversity, and they’ve helped to fund our Sibling Days. They have supported Naomi House & Jacksplace since 2013 and most recently funded all 3 of our Christmas events, our sibling Christmas party, our Sibling bowling trip as well as our bowling trip for our Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy group.
When we first visited Naomi’s House and Jacksplace in 2013, we were blown away by the work being carried out. We met some truly inspirational children and their families and were made to feel so welcome by the wonderful staff; we immediately wanted to get involved. Since then we have funded several days out and weekend activities and helped furnish the play therapy studio. We have loved having the opportunity to deliver smiles and create positive memories for the children and siblings supported by this wonderful charity and look forward to continuing to work together.