Download the Anam Cara December 2016 Newsletter
New Anam Cara booklet: Living with no surviving children’
Anam Cara would like to thank the parents who came together earlier this year to develop and write a new booklet: ‘Living with no surviving children’. It is a resource that was very much needed for parents who have experienced this devastating loss. This is the eighth booklet in the Anam Cara Information Pack. In just one year, 10,000 copies of the pack have been distributed around the country to hospitals, funeral directors, Gardaí and schools. Every day central office receives calls and emails from parents or those supporting parents requesting packs. The new booklet will be officially launched in the new year. Meanwhile, it can be read at anamcara.ie or ordered by contacting info@anamcarani.co.uk
Local Group Focus: Tipperary
By Larry O’Sullivan, Volunteer Parent (pictured)
The Tipperary Anam Cara group recently launched the Information Packs in the Anner Hotel in Thurles. There was a full house on the day and the audience was comprised of people from all areas of life with any connection to bereavement services in Tipperary and surrounding counties. There was a genuinely great reaction to the speakers from all of those attending. This group is co-facilitated by Martina Woodlock and myself who are both bereaved parents and Ricky Hewitt who is our professional co-facilitator with the group. Monthly meetings are held in the Horse & Jockey Hotel, Thurles on the third Monday of each month from September to June, from 7.30pm until 9.00pm sharp.
A word from Ann Lappin of the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice
We have enjoyed the opportunity to work in partnership with Anam Cara through funding from a Big Lottery Reaching Out: Supporting Families grant. This partnership has provided a series of information evenings in Northern Ireland throughout the year. We are delighted that this partnership will continue in 2017, providing further information evenings and parent support groups in Northern Ireland. Working together in this way has enabled the strategic development of group-based support services for bereaved parents in their own communities. We look forward to the continuing development of these vital support services.
2016 GSK Impact
Award and new Anam Cara video We were delighted to be one of five winners this year of the very competitive GSK impact Awards. As well as a prize of €10,000, GSK made a new video for Anam Cara to help us promote the work we do. To view the new video see gsk.ie Below, Anam Cara CEO Sharon Vard accepts the award from Minister Finian McGrath and Roger Connor of GSK.