Our work with schools
The Dragonfly Project is an example of our work with schools; community education scheme that reduces anxiety and opens up conversations about death and grief. A partnership between Dorothy House and Winsley Primary School, this creative project invites Year 6 pupils to the Hospice to take part in a series of creative arts workshops as an opportunity to learn and understand topics related to palliative illness.
Conversations about death and grief
The Dragonfly Project plays a crucial role in actively destigmatising death, creating a safe and supportive space for children to explore this challenging topic. Feedback from our 2023 project shared stories of children going home to have conversations are death and dying which has been helpful for families dealing with palliative illness and or bereavement.
Navigating change
Taking place as a series of four workshops over a month, the Dragonfly Project aims to place an emphasis on change and journey, for both the children and patients, as the children move on to secondary school and patients receiving a diagnosis which may impact their lives in different ways.
As well as this, the project brings us closer to the community, demystifying what happens at the Hospice.
In 2023, the project returned after a hiatus of four years due to Covid, and over the four weeks, the children spent time with Ros and Bethan, our Creative Therapy team, making artwork with staff, volunteers and day patients.
Workshop overview
Dorothy House Ambassadors for Young People
Charity Ambassador Sir Al Aynsley Green, a trained children’s physician, clinical scientist, and ex-President of the British Medical Association, has been a champion for improving the lives of children and young people, of which he has spent many years channelling his wealth of experience into.
Our Young People Ambassadors Seb Chester-Phillips and Jess Sheridan both have shared experiences of navigating grief in school, and have shared their first-hand experiences of the vital role Dorothy House can play at the end of life. Below they share their stories of working closely with the Hospice’s bereavement services and their investment in supporting schools development programmes to better support young people with grief.
Jess's work with Dorothy House
After her mum’s death when she was just 19, Jess worked with Dorothy House’s Family Support Team to navigate her own bereavement journey and volunteered her time to support Dorothy House in a variety of crucial ways, such as our work with schools. Jess’s amazing work for Dorothy House was recognised at the Hospice UK national volunteering awards ceremony at the Arena and Convention Centre in Liverpool on 7 November.
“By generously sharing her personal experience of losing her mum as a teenager, Jess has offered advice to other bereaved young people, acting as a role model and helping them to connect and support each other. Thank you, Jess, for you dedication and hard work.” – CEO of Hospice UK, Toby Porter
Seb Chester-Phillips and the Dorothy House Nature Trail
Our Young Person’s Ambassador, Seb Chester-Phillips visited our Interactive Nature Trail just before it opened on 19 May and shared his personal reflections on what nature means to him since the death of his mum, Amanda in 2016. Seb is generously using his personal experience of losing his mum aged 12, not only to offer support to young people who are sadly grieving the death of a parent but also to help educate and inform our community about the importance of destigmatising death for young people.