Who Are We?

We are a charity that provides relief to those are in need by reason of bereavement through death, family breakdown, separation, or divorce, through the provision of training and resources to deliver Grief Peer Support Programmes for children and teenagers.

Our Mission

How do we do this

History of Growing Through

Board of Trustees

Growing Through International

Ways to Support Us

Why Grief Support?

Bereavement affects a person’s emotional, spiritual, physical and mental health and well-being. When they don’t have anyone to talk through their feelings they will often be overwhelmed with a range of emotions.

The Benefits of Grief Support Groups

The Evidence Behind Grief Support Groups

Why Provide Grief Support

Statistics for Family Breakdown

Statistics for Children’s Bereavement

Our Programmes

Growing Through programmes are peer support group curriculum’s that are biblically based. They are targeted, evidence-based programmes of intervention and prevention, to provide help for children to cope with their grief now, in the early stages, in order to prevent problems stemming from unresolved grief in their future.

Resources

During the upheaval of a deeply emotional time of loss in our lives, we can have a lot of questions or worries that we want to search out answers for. Growing Through may not provide all the answers to those questions but, we hope we can give you some guidance to help you navigate your journey of grief through our informational resources provided here.

Training

How to Start a Group

Parenting Resources

Following a Death

Questions or Worries a Child may have Following a Death

Tips for Dealing with a Death

Ways to Remember your Loved Ones

Following a Family Breakdown

Questions or Worries a Child may have Following a Family Breakdown

Tips for Dealing with a Family Breakdown

Grief Talk

Children’s Grief

Stages of Grief in Children

Grieving Children’s Behavioural Patterns

Children’s Concept of Death

Feelings

Self Help

Books for Children Experiencing Grief

Books for Children Experiencing Family Breakdown

Books for Parents

Testimonals

Programme Details

Ages: 6-11

Sessions: 13

Session Time: Two periods of 45 minutes

 

Pot of Gold is a thirteen-week Biblical peer support programme based on the story of Joseph and the ups and downs of his life (Genesis ch37-50). Its aim is to provide emotional support for children ages 6 – 11 years who have been bereaved though death or family breakdown.

A different grief topic is covered each week over a ninty minute period that is divided into two parts. In the first 45 minutes, all the children are together in a big group where the topic of the week is introduced through story, song, and the occasional game. The last 45 minutes is devoted to small group time in which the children are divided into their age appropiate groups where they will do worksheets, games or crafts relating to the topic of the week.

Our programme is not a counselling service, but rather a peer support programme led by adult facilitators (lay people) who are trained by Growing Through in active listening skills. The training can be offered either by one of our representatives, or with the DVD that is provided with the purchased curriculum. Our intent is to provide a safe setting in which children can work through their feelings with peers who are experiencing similar situations.

Aims of the Programme

To help the children

Validate their feelings of loss

Gain emotional control over fear and anger

Integrate their loss into their life experience

Accept their ‘new normal’

Understand their new family unit in light of the changes that have taken place

Build a stronger sense of self-esteem

Learn coping skills to help them when feeling down or facing a new crisis

Lesson Objectives

To help the children learn that:

It is normal to have angry and sad feelings

It is okay to get angry, but there are right and wrong ways to express their anger

They are unique individuals with an identity apart from their family and others

Worrying about the future can stop them from enjoying today

Families change, but regardless of who they live with, they are still part of a family

It is possible to still love both parents, even though they dont live together

They do not need to feel guilty, because it is not their fault that the death or family breakdown happened and they could not have prevented it

Some things cannot change, so adjustments must be made

They can choose happiness by looking forward to the new things and the new people that God wants to bring into their lives

Topics

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1 - I am Loved

Purpose

To help the children understand that God created the world perfect, but sorrow and suffering entered the world through man’s choice. The worth of each person is determined by what God was willing to pay to rescue him.

2 - Jesus Understands our Feelings

Purpose

To help the children know that they can tell God about their sad feelings becauase he understands. When God, in the person of Jesus, came down to earth ro live as a human being, He experienced sorrow and suffering too.

3 - What is Family?

Purpose

To help the children understand that though their family has changed, they still have a family. Furthermore, God made sure that no matter where we go, we will always have a family in His Church.

4 - Personally Puzzled

Purpose

To help the children understand that though their lives appear to be falling to pieces, God can take even the bad things that happen to use and work the together for good.

5 - Managing My Anger

Purpose

To help the children understand that it’s okay to get angry, but there are right and wrong ways to express their anger. Talking to God can help cool down their ‘anger thermometer’.

6 - Dealing with Fears and Worries

Purpose

To help the children understand that worrying about the future can tstop them from enjoying today. Nothing can happen to them that they will not be able to handle with God’s help.

7 - I Can Choose

Purpose

To help the children understand that they are responsible for their own choices and that they cannot choose for other people. They are unique individuals with an identity apart from their family and others.

8 - Never Alone

Purpose

To help the children understand that they need to take responsibility for themselves when they feel lonely. It is important to tell God and others what they need. God can fill the empty space in their hearts that no one else can fill.

9 - Blended Families

Purpose

To help the children undertand their fears about possibility that their mum or dad may remarry. Those already living in stepfamilies get a chance to voice the positive nd negative aspects of their situation.

10 - Going Forward

Purpose

To help the children understand that they can choose happiness by loking forward to the new things and the new people that God wants to bring into their lives. trying to live their lives by looking backwards is as silly as trying to run a race backwards.

11 - Sailing Through the Storms

Purpose

To help the children understand how to cope with upheavals and crisis as they happen. When things are out of control, they can trust that God is in control and will bring them safety through the storm.

12 - Shine your Light

Purpose

To help the children understand that they can become beacons of hope for others who have experienced loss.

Discovery Day

Graduation Day

To consolidate all that they have learned throughout the programme. To help the children recognise how unforgiveness can be detrimental to them and how to let go of it to bring healing. To furnish them with the abiliy to recognise people they can trust.

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Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

1 - I am Loved

Purpose

To help the children understand that God created the world perfect, but sorrow and suffering entered the world through man’s choice. The worth of each person is determined by what God was willing to pay to rescue him.

2 - Jesus Understands our Feelings

Purpose

To help the children know that they can tell God about their sad feelings becauase he understands. When God, in the person of Jesus, came down to earth ro live as a human being, He experienced sorrow and suffering too.

3 - What is Family?

Purpose

To help the children understand that though their family has changed, they still have a family. Furthermore, God made sure that no matter where we go, we will always have a family in His Church.

4 - Personally Puzzled

Purpose

To help the children understand that though their lives appear to be falling to pieces, God can take even the bad things that happen to use and cause them to work together for good.

5 - Managing My Anger

Purpose

To help the children understand that it’s okay to get angry, but there are right and wrong ways to express their anger. Talking to God can help cool down their ‘anger thermometer’.

6 - Dealing with Fears and Worries

Purpose

To help the children understand that worrying about the future can stop them from enjoying today. Nothing can happen to them that they will not be able to handle with God’s help.

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Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

7 - I Can Choose

Purpose

To help the children understand that they are responsible for their own choices and that they cannot choose for other people. They are unique individuals with an identity apart from their family and others.

8 - Never Alone

Purpose

To help the children understand that they need to take responsibility for themselves when they feel lonely. It is important to tell God and others what they need. God can fill the empty space in their hearts that no one else can fill.

9 - Blended Families

Purpose

To help the children understand their fears about possibility that their mum or dad may remarry. Those already living in stepfamilies get a chance to voice the positive and negative aspects of their situation.

10 - Going Forward

Purpose

To help the children understand that they can choose happiness by looking forward to the new things and the new people that God wants to bring into their lives. Trying to live their lives by looking backwards is as silly as trying to run a race backwards.

11 - Sailing Through the Storms

Purpose

To help the children understand how to cope with upheavals and crisis as they happen. When things are out of control, they can trust that God is in control and will bring them safety through the storm.

12 - Shine your Light

Purpose

To help the children understand that they can become beacons of hope for others who have experienced loss.

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Discovery Day

Graduation Day

To consolidate all that they have learned throughout the programme. To help the children recognise how unforgiveness can be detrimental to them and how to let go of it to bring healing. To furnish them with the ability to recognise people they can trust.

Evaluation

What do the parents say?

“My child’s experience was one of enjoyment, commitment and a sense of belonging.” “My child has been sharing his feelings at home and this has brought us closer together.” “All the lessons have taught my son to find the solutions to solve the problems that he had been experiencing over the last couple of years. I would recommend this group 100%.” “My son learnt lot of new ways to control his anger in a healthier way.” “My son is much calmer now and able to control his anger. He is now able to tell me anything. It is lovely to see him starting to like himself again!” “I am very grateful for the support my son and I received from Pot of Gold. We get along much better now that he is finds it easier to communicate his feelings in a more understandable way with me.” “I would recommend Pot of Gold as it is brilliant for children’s mental and emotional well-being. It helps them to know they are not alone.” “My daughter is a lot calmer now as it has helped her to understand her emotions. I would 100% recommend it to other parents as it gives them more understanding and knowledge that they are not on their own.” “I think this is a fantastic programme for children. Before my son attended, he wouldn’t discuss anything to anybody and took himself to his room alone. Now he will come to me and tell me what he needs and what is bothering him.” “I noticed a very positive change in my son almost immediately. He now feels confident and comfortable in talking to me about his emotional needs and I feel he has benefited greatly from attending Pot of Gold.” “After initial doubts whether this course would do more harm than good, I am left in no doubt that it has benefited my child in many ways. “Pot of Gold helped me with everything! It gave me the ability to know what I need to do in a hard time and help me cope with my problems and give me solutions”(age 12) “I liked being in my age group and being listened to”(age 7) “I learned to handle my feelings”(age 8) “It helped me to understand that it was okay to be happy with my new family and to still love my dad”(age 7) “Pot of Gold Club helped me to learn how to feel calm”(age 9) “I learned that even though your parents divorce, Jesus still loves me”(age 11) “It has taught me not to hold grudges and I have grown in confidence in speaking about what happened”(age 12) “It was fun, and it helped me to let all my feelings out and not to keep things to myself”(age 11) What the Children Say?