SNP MSP marks Children’s Grief Awareness Week
SNP MSP will today (Tuesday) bring
a Member’s Debate to Chamber to mark Children’s Grief Awareness
Week 2023.
Leading the debate in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon, the
MSP for Greenock & Inverclyde, will talk about the work of
Child Bereavement UK and Childhood Bereavement Network, while
highlighting this year’s awareness week theme ‘The Shape of Your
Support’; focussing on how people outside immediate family and
friends can support children going through bereavement.
He will also put on record the work local campaigner Ben Kane,
who set up a bereavement support group in his high school a
number of years ago, and who has since been at the forefront of
the campaign to raise awareness of bereavement and provide
greater support to local young people.
Commenting ahead of his Member’s Debate, MSP said:
“I welcome the opportunity to bring this important debate to
chamber to mark Children’s Grief Awareness week 2023, and the
chance to highlight the excellent work being done locally and
across Scotland to support young people dealing with grief.
“Children are no strangers to bereavement, and here in Scotland,
62% of them will have lost a close family member before they are
10 years old – their voices must not be forgotten when we talk
about bereavement, and consider how best to support people after
the death of a loved one – which is especially true after the
devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, where no life was
left untouched.
“I’m pleased to see so many organisations making a positive
impact on the lives of children and young people going
through bereavement and look forward to hearing more examples of
good practice when it comes to supporting children coping with
grief.”
