Bereavement charity 2wish expands services to Herefordshire and Worcestershire
The charity has opened its support throughout the two counties
Bereavement charity 2wish has launched it's support services across Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
Set-up in 2012, the charity offers support to families affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a child or young person aged 25 and under.
Founder Rhian Mannings MBE started 2wish after she and her husband Paul experienced the heartache of losing their baby son George.
Rhian then lost her husband five days later, and the charity was created in their memory and to support other parents who have suddenly suffered bereavement.
Deputy CEO and head of bereavement services, Emma Kneebone, says this expansion is just the start of bringing the charity to England.
She said: "We quickly grew across Wales since starting because there was a gap in bereavement services for losing a child suddenly and unexpectedly.
"From that we decided we wanted to continue to help as many people as possible, so we made the decision to expand into England.
"This isn't as straightforward as just carrying everything over though so we're managing the move in phases, with the first phase seeing us bring our support to areas such as Herefordshire and Worcestershire."
Across Wales, the charity has worked alongside organisations such as the Police, NHS Wales and Organ Donation Wales to make sure that no family is missed in terms of receiving support.
In every Emergency Unit and Critical Care Unit across Wales there is now immediate support pathways in place, and Emma says the help they can provide is massively important.
"What we are all about at the charity is making sure we provide that immediate support," Emma said.
"We receive referrals every single day, but it really is vital that families know that they've got somewhere to reach out to and not just support them through those opening few moments, but also 20 years later still.
"People can speak to us whenever they need to, and we promise that whenever that is we will be there to offer any help that we can."
Since 2012, the charity has helped over 1,400 families who have lost a child or young person aged 25 or under.