Funeral firm joins forces with trust

Funeral directors Wathall’s has teamed up with Derby County Community Trust to widen access to support for people whose lives have been affected by bereavement.

The family run firm, which is Derby’s longest-established independent funeral directors, has joined DCCT’s Trust Partners programme.

In the first instance, the company’s bereavement support coordinator and qualified grief counsellor Fay Bloor will be providing training and bereavement awareness sessions for DCCT staff.

The aim is to enable staff to support colleagues as well as members of public – from children to older people – who benefit from the trust’s nationally-recognised community programme.

DCCT group members will also be signposted to Wathall’s Dandelions Bereavement Support services if they need further support following a bereavement.

These include free Grief Journey programmes and support groups in Derby and Ashbourne.

Likewise, people who have lost a loved one and are supported by Wathall’s will be put in touch with DCCT whose community programmes focus on mental health and wellbeing, physical activity and activities to combat social isolation.

Helen Wathall MBE is the fifth generation of her family to run Wathall’s and is a lifelong Rams fan.

She said: “DCCT and Wathall’s have much in common – not least a goal to support the health and wellbeing of people in our local communities who are at a low point in their lives.

“Therefore, becoming a formal Trust Partner of the charity was a natural progression for us.

“Grief affects different people in different ways. However, losing a loved one – whether that is recent or historic – often leads to physical and mental ill health as well as loneliness and social isolation.

“By sharing our expertise and resources with DCCT, I hope that we can add even greater value to the fantastic work that the trust does in our local communities.”

Simon Carnall, head of community at DCCT, said: “Bereavement is an inevitable part of life and our partnership working with Wathall’s will help us as an organisation to better support our colleagues and people in our local communities alike.

“This work perfectly illustrates the creative ways that the local business community can support the trust – taking relationships far beyond corporate giving to provide mutually-beneficial support that has the potential to make a long-lasting positive impact on many people’s lives.”