WIREDGOV

A mother who lost her son in the most tragic of circumstances yesterday welcomed a National Lottery cash boost that will allow the Scottish Cot Death Trust to support many more bereaved parents to come together to share their experiences.

Nicole Bowles whose four month son, Ben, died suddenly when she was on a family shopping trip, is one of a number of parents who will share their stories as part of a series of interactive workshop that will go ahead, thanks to £77,130 award from the Big Lottery Fund. Their thoughts and feelings will then form the basis of a new play that will be premiered at the International Conference on Stillbirth, SIDS and Baby Survival in Glasgow in June next year, before touring round Scotland.

Nicole said, “When it comes to child loss unless you have been through it you can’t understand it and it’s so difficult to find other people who have been through a similar experience. When your child dies you feel guilty, you feel you have failed in your role as a parent to protect your child. People not talking to you can often lead to more negative thoughts and increase the sense of isolation you feel. Taking part in these interactive workshops will be a lifeline for parents. This is a way to raise awareness, unite people and bring communities together.”

Welcoming the award, Lynsay Allan, Executive Director, Scottish Cot Death Trust, said, “The Scottish Cot Death Trust wanted to give parents an opportunity to reach out to the community and tell their story.

“We aim to have a play that people from all backgrounds can relate to. For some it will educate them about what it means to be a bereaved parent. Importantly the story will reach out to any parent whose child has died, whatever the cause. Child death is something we all find distressing as it goes against the natural order of life.

“The power of this project is that we don’t know at this stage what the story of the play will be. The families taking part are the real story tellers and creators. They own this process.”

The Scottish Cot Death Trust is one of 11 organisations across Scotland sharing in National Lottery cash totalling £1,180,395. See full list of awards for full details

Announcing the funding, Maureen McGinn, Chair, Big Lottery Fund Scotland, said: “Thanks to National Lottery funding, this innovative project will bring together families who may experience isolation because of the circumstances of their bereavement. The workshops will give them an opportunity to express their grief and make connections with others who have been through a similar journey. Their contributions to the play, due to tour around the country next year, will inform and support other parents struggling to connect with family and friends.”

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 0141 242 1451
Website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Twitter: @BIGSCOTLAND #BIGScotland
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFundScotland

Notes to Editors:

• The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
• The Big Lottery Fund Scotland is focussed on helping people and communities most in need throughout Scotland through its five-year £250m funding scheme as well as small grants scheme National Lottery Awards for All Scotland.
• Since March 2007 Big Lottery Fund Scotland has taken devolved decisions on National Lottery spending, the Committee, led by Chair, Maureen McGinn plays a strategic role in the future direction of the Fund in Scotland.
• Since June 2004 we have awarded over £8 billion to projects across the UK that change the lives of millions of people. Every year we fund 13,000 small local projects tackling big social problems like poor mental health and homelessness.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £35 billion has been raised and more than 490,000 grants awarded.