MORE than £5,000 will go to a Dorothy House project to help bereaved children and families cope with the death of a loved one.

At area board meetings in Bradford on Avon and Devizes last week, each group agreed to give £2,802 to the charity's Making Memories Mornings project and the Hidden Woods remembrance days initiatives.

One helps families with children and young people as they prepare for bereavement and the other is for for bereaved families with children and young people, helping them to cope with the loss of a family member.

Dorothy House Trust fundraiser, Helen Francis, told Bradford councillors last Wednesday: “I just want to say a huge thank you for your generosity in this kind offering. We are extremely grateful for this and it is going to make a real difference.

“So many youngsters don’t deal with losing a loved one well when they don’t have support of outdoor projects like Hidden Woods are providing. It can cause them to have problems with their mental health, at school, inhibit their potential and even lead to a life of crime.

“We know how valuable this can be and I believe we can do great things thanks to your backing. These are two great initiatives and one that can help a lot of people.”

Hidden Woods, based in 80 acres of woodland in Farleigh Wood, specialises in running woodland sessions for a huge range of audiences from toddlers to birthday parties and mature family groups.

"We are delighted to work with Dorothy House and when they came to us with this idea we were eager to do our bit. This is a really good and exciting initiative and is for a great cause," said Steve Sutherland, founder of Hidden Woods.

"We have seen the massive impact these projects can have. It can be a powerful experience for young people going forward. We work with people of all backgrounds, catering to their needs.

"When they approached us they thought it would be an appropriate setting for what they want to achieve and we're happy to help."

Emma Coombs, Wiltshire Council Community Youth Officer, said: “This is a chance for us to work together with sessions that will give family groups the chance to work together on a creative project and engage in a major experience they can look back on.”

Councillor Magnus Macdonald said: “I would like to say this is exactly what these local youth network grants are for. Dorothy House is an extraordinary charity and this project is very close to my own heart and I think it is absolutely wonderful.”