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The Arsenal Foundation has helped to fund SLOW \u2013 surviving the loss of your world \u2013 a charity that supports parents and siblings following the loss of a child. Charity Director Nikki Peterson, 47 and from Sussex, tells us about their work.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter, Rosie, died in 2006 when she was just six days old. It completely shattered my world. I was torn apart, I needed therapy, I lost friends, and even some family weren\u2019t supportive in the way I needed. I left a job I loved, a role I might still be in today if I hadn\u2019t had this experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cThirteen years later, I trained as a certified personal and business coach and found myself naturally drawn to coaching individuals around grief and loss. Then I came across a role at SLOW that felt as if it had been written just for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love what I do now. I get to take Rosie to work with me every day, using my own experience to support others in the way I needed all those years ago. I often describe Rosie as my superpower. There\u2019s no way I\u2019d be doing this meaningful work if it weren\u2019t for her.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore coaching, I worked in media sales, selling advertising space. Coming from a fast-paced, highly target-driven environment has been invaluable in the charity sector, where creativity is essential to navigate an increasingly competitive funding landscape.<\/p>\n
\u201cSLOW is an incredibly special charity that supports bereaved parents and siblings after the death of a child, regardless of the child\u2019s age, the circumstances of their death or how long ago it occurred. We provide support groups led by bereaved parents or siblings themselves, offering a safe, compassionate and non-judgmental space where thoughts and feelings can be shared and truly understood.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur groups help to normalise grief. Parents and siblings often leave feeling less alone, with the reassurance that they are not \u201cgoing mad\u201d, a feeling that can be all too common when grief is misunderstood. Unless you are part of this club \u2013 which no one wants to be \u2013 it can be incredibly isolating.<\/p>\n
\u201cSLOW is often described as a lifeline. For some people, we are the only reason they keep going. While we know our work is deeply special, it is also evidence based, supported through our partnership with the University of Hertfordshire.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a team of 11 facilitators running our bereaved parent groups, and more than half of them used SLOW\u2019s support groups as bereaved parents themselves. Having walked that path, they now support others. The message of hope this carries is deeply reassuring; it shows just how possible it is to re-engage with the world, even when you once felt completely hopeless, and that life can slowly begin to open up again.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really quite beautiful to be able to help others in this way. This work is of course part of my own lifelong grief journey, and in many ways it helps me as much as it helps others. It\u2019s tough, hard and at times gritty work, but it\u2019s the most rewarding and meaningful role I\u2019ve ever had.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn our groups, we sometimes hear raw, almost animalistic sounds of grief. They are incredibly hard to witness, yet we recognise that this is one of the very few places where parents and siblings can fully release that depth of pain. To sit with these parents, to hold them, and to hear the stories of their children is truly special.<\/p>\n
\u201cFootball clubs have a choice whether to help their communities, and it\u2019s one they can make fairly easily. There\u2019s such a huge gap between the wealth of clubs and players and the everyday realities of fans and local communities. Many clubs are naturally part of their local areas and community, and they can choose to give back financially or not.<\/p>\n
\u201cAround the Emirates, the community is incredibly diverse, and it\u2019s fantastic to see The Arsenal Foundation playing an active role in supporting so many local initiatives. We at SLOW are deeply grateful for the small grant they\u2019ve given us to help continue our work. It makes a real difference, and for that we are grateful \u2013 thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
What they say<\/strong><\/p>\n This is what people who have used SLOW\u2019s services say:<\/p>\n \u2022\u201cWithout it, I wouldn\u2019t be here. It\u2019s allowed me to become a functioning person again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2022\u201cSLOW has literally kept me alive. In the early days I think I just wanted to kill myself \u2013 I was just in a dark place. I didn\u2019t see a future. I couldn\u2019t even look after myself and, I can absolutely say, without a doubt, that without SLOW I wouldn\u2019t be here.\u201d<\/p>\n Harry\u2019s story<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI find the Sibs workshops really useful because I can dedicate that time to honouring my sister, Emily. The adults that run the groups are so kind and empathetic towards all of our experiences. They realise that it\u2019s sometimes difficult for us to speak about our siblings so they talk to us as we\u2019re making things or encourage us to share special photos or objects, which makes speaking easier. They work hard to make the sessions the best for us.<\/p>\n \u201cMy favourite creation has been the wreath at Christmas because there were so many resources to choose from so then I could make it special and linked to Emily.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good to socialise with people who are going through a similar loss to you because you feel connected, even though it\u2019s because of a horrible experience. Thank you SLOW for everything you do.\u201d<\/p>\n