Lisburn charity takes flight as it competes for a national award

running for a prestigious

national award.

Life After Loss was set up in 2006 by Ballinderry woman Helen Savage after the loss of her son Samuel in February 2005.

“After I lost my son Samuel I found a few groups online for support and after a while a few of us decided to start our own group,” explained Helen,

“We achieved charitable status in 2007 and we have been going from strength to strength.

“We have branched out to have support groups and we hold a balloon release every year.”

The charity also recently set up their offices at the Enterprise Centre in Lisburn and have begun holding ‘coffee and chat’ evenings in Lisburn.

“We hold the coffee evenings at our offices in Lisburn for parents to come along and make friends with other families going through the same thing,” continued Helen.

The charity will also be holding their annual balloon release at Belfast Castle this Sunday (October 5).

Hundreds of people will release balloons in memory of their children, whose lives were all too brief,

Along with everyone associated with Life After Loss Helen is also looking forward to the Butterfly Awards, which are being held next weekend in Warwick.

Life After Loss was nominated for a Butterfly Award in the UK Support Organisation category.

The nomination came from one of the mothers who has received support from the group.

Some 300 people, including representatives from Life After Loss, are expected to attend the award ceremony on October 11 to honour those who work to support those going through the loss of a baby.

This is not the first time Life After Loss has been honoured for its hard work.

The charity won the NI4Kids Family Support Organisation Award last year.

They are hoping to repeat their success at the Butterfly Awards next week.

“It is a great honour to be nominated and it is really lovely to be recognised,” added Helen.

“This nomination means so very much to us, as a fairly small charity which is always aiming to grow and help more families.

“We have so many more plans and projects to undertake in the future.

“For example we have a keen interest in finding new ways to help children affected by the loss of a sibling.

“To win this award would mean so much to us.

“It would help give us the confidence to keep pushing forward, knowing we are doing something right towards our goal to make this tragic experience a little gentler in some small way.”

To find out more about Life After Loss, log onto the website www.lifeafterloss.org.uk, go to Facebook at www.facebook.com/lifesafterloss .

Alternatively, contact Helen at the charity’s Lisburn office on 028 9260 5578 or via email at [email protected].