BACKGROUND :-

The Gone Forever Project has been in existence since 1990. It was a collaborative Service Project started by Sheffield Hallam University School of Education and the Sheffield Area Bereavement Forum (which no longer exists) and was a good example of a University and a Voluntary Body working in partnership.   The original members of the Project Steering Group come from a variety of backgrounds
 

The Gone Forever Bereavement Trust is now a Charity in its own right.

It is a multi-agency initiative and has contacts in the teaching profession and school governing bodies, Social Services and the Probation Service, the Church, the Trent Palliative Care Unit and local hospitals, the NHS and G.Ps, The Samaritans and the Sheffield Afro-Caribbean Association.

Trust members have contacts with the Minister for Education and Employment, the Teacher Training Agency, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Institute for Outdoor Learning.

Our experiences have confirmed what research states:-

• Adults often fail to deal adequately with the grief of children and adolescents;
• There is a mixture of emotional and behavioural responses which might occur;
• There are cognitive struggles which young people suffer around the concept of someone being "gone forever", whether as a result of death, or perhaps even more complicated, as a result of divorce.

Perhaps one of the most important conclusions drawn from our experience is the perception which exists amongst adults, certainly in educational establishments, of being alone, unsupported and lacking in confidence in one's own ability to handle others' grief - especially children's and young people's grief.

HISTORY
 
Over the past 19 years, the project has:

1]. Developed and run training sessions for groups of teachers in individual schools. These have been tailored to specific school needs.

2]. Developed and run training sessions for teachers of special needs children. These have been tailored to specific needs.
3]. Developed and run training courses for school governors and school mentors.   These have raised awareness, and enabled them to

• encourage the staff at their school to seek to become equipped to deal with grieving children;
• encourage the staff at their school to identify incidental causes of grief e.g. the loss of a pet, divorce;
• prepare a "Critical Incident" plan for their school.

4]. Presented an invited paper [1995] detailing the establishment and work of the Gone Forever Project to the International Conference on the Social Context of Death and Dying.

5]. Held a National Conference in 1996 where a performance, by children, of an adaptation of 'Badger's Parting Gift' was given. The author, Susan Varley, was in attendance.

6]. Produced a Policy Statement which was presented to the Sheffield City Council via the Sheffield Association of School Governing Bodies. This policy was adopted [1996] and the Education Psychologists were commissioned to work in partnership with Gone Forever to ensure its implementation.

7]. Produced a booklet and resources list, which was reprinted in 2005, along with a Directory of Bereavement Services.

8]. Presented a session on "Helping Adolescents who suffer Bereavement and Loss" [academic year 1995/1996]. This formed part of the Initial Teacher Training curriculum units.

9]. Encouraged a group of students to mount a highly successful conference funded by the University's Enterprise Programme.

10]. Established a National Network Database, with Newsletters as appropriate.

11]. Invited, by the Teacher Training Agency, to be part of the Sex and Relationship Education Working Group to produce the new guidelines.

12]. Offered a place to participate as a committee member by the Scottish Council for Research in Education to look at loss and bereavement with young people.

13]. We were invited to send a delegate - Shirley Payne - to the Marie Curie Childhood Bereavement 'Who Cares?' Conference [2000].

14]. Charitable Status - Gone Forever Bereavement Trust - Registered Number1080764. [2000]

15]. Circulation of the Gone Forever Young People's and Children's leaflets to the Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Kirklees and Doncaster Schools.

16]. Produced leaflets for Teachers and for Parents.

17]. Held very successful annual Conferences, for example –

'What do we tell the children?' - living with terminal illness. [2002]
‘What do we tell the children?’ – demand was such that 2002 was repeated. [2003]
‘Making the difference. – creative ways of helping children grieve. [2004]
‘Grief Encounter’. [2005]
‘Don’t Give Me Grief’. [2006]
‘Every Child Matters’. [2007].

18]. Pressure placed on the TTA

19]. Scottish Council for Research in Education Work.

20]. Childhood Bereavement Network - some members attend.

21]. Media Coverage.

22]. Sponsorship has been received from the Forester's Fund; The Town Trust; Westfield;St Agatha’s Trust; The South Yorkshire Community Fund and St.Mary's Church, Ecclesfield at various times.

23]. Training courses for schools and for Cruse.

24]. Achieved accreditation from Sheffield Hallam University for a unit on Death, Bereavement and Loss, relating to children and young people as part of the M.Ed.  

25]. Two leaflets for parents, one for teachers and a reprint of the children’s and information leaflets were completed.

26]. Affiliated to the Child Bereavement Network – 2002.

27]. Seminars for staff at St. Luke’s Hospital and NGH Palliative Care Unit.

28]. Made contact and developed work with other groups doing similar work.

29]. Established local networks.

30]. Sought sponsorship, collaborative resource/funding. Increase in numbers of enquiries and requests for training.

31]. Gave training to the Healthy Living Project :Learning Mentors in schools; Social Services Family Support Services and LEA Family Support Services.

32]. Some members became accredited volunteers of the S.C. Major Incident Team and, MI workers began to receive training on Children in Trauma delivered by GF members.
 
33]. Supported Brian Cranwell’s research as appropriate. [ Brian has completed his research work successfully.].
34]. Gone Forever became part of the Major Incident Response Group – [MIRG] - 2007.
35]. Completed delivery of training to the staff of a Secure Unit.
36]. Delivered several Basic Training courses.
37]. Delivered training at an Independent School.
38]. Delivered training to a Special School.

This list is updated, chronologically on a yearly basis.

2009 ACTIVITIES:-
1]. Helped with an increasing number of enquiries from many different sources.

2]. Held some successful training sessions.

3]. Continued to deliver training to Major Incident Workers and to Sheffield University ANTS Team.

4]. Completedthe redesigning and reprinting of leaflets.

5]. Delivered training to a Special Unit.

6]. Given advice and support to 3 Sheffield Schools following tragiccircumstances.

ONGOING INITIATIVES:-

1]. To offer training as requested by any group.

2]. To seek to widen the age range of members, increase numbers and  to encourage more male participation.

3]. To encourage feed back on previous training given, enquiries made and help offered.

4]. To seek funding when required.

5]. To keep our literature up to date.

6]. To continue Major Incident Training.

7]. To continue to work with, and support, the University Volunteer Group – ‘A Nice Time on Saturdays’.

8]. To continue training for accredited volunteers of the Major Incident teams of South Yorkshire to enable them to help children involved in a major incident.
9]. To continue our public liability insurance.

10]. To hold an annual conference.

OBJECTIVES for 2009-2010:-

1]. To continue with all the ongoing initiatives.

2]. To develop a leaflet for use for the M.I. Workers as and when appropriate.
3]. To continue with the updating of our website.
4]. To set up our new office at Suffolk Rd as and when it becomes available.
5]. To respond to, and prepare guidelines and resources for, helping children and adolescents prepare for death – (a) their own; (b.) their parent’s.
6]. To begin in house training.
7].To improve our publicity
8]. An increase in membership is vital to continue our work and to the survival of the Trust.   In a year’s time we will make the decision whether we continue or not.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR 2009/20010:-

1]. To have a regularly managed andupdated web site.
2]. Increase in, and widening of, membership.
3]. Continuation of training and assistance when requested.
4]. Verbal feed back from clients as part of our quality assurance.
5]. Up to date publications and booklets.
6]. Necessary funding will be available.
7]. To have held a successful conference.
8]. To have received in house training.
9]. To have received and delivered training for Module 7 for MI

The Gone Forever Bereavement Trust’s Mission Statement, Aims and Objectives are reviewed annually. Performance is assessed against the progress achieved in the fulfilment of each of the objectives.

Charity No. 1080764 (This is a none grant making charity)