The five families who attended, are being supported through our bereavement service, Echoes, and it was a chance for different parents and siblings to get to know each other, share their experiences and enjoy a day out. 

Our Echoes Family Support Workers, Vanessa and Charlotte, met the families at The Orangery Tea House at Garsons where they got creative by taking part in some Halloween-themed pebble painting before heading to the Wild West themed Pumpkin Parade.

There were thousands of perfect pumpkins to pick, covering all shapes and sizes from little Munchkins and pale-yellow Autumn Crowns, through to large bright orange Big Mooses and Gold Medals. Families grabbed their wheelbarrows and got stuck in. On the way around the event, there were lots of fun games for the children to take part in, including beanbag throwing, hoopla, and giant connect four.

One of the mums who attended the event at Garsons said: “The Pumpkin Parade meet up was a good way to connect with other parents also facing the heartbreak of losing a child. It also allowed our other children to have a space where they can be happy, as they are also dealing with the great sadness of missing their brother or sister, and it was a way to meet other children dealing with the same sadness. The pebble painting helped to allow parents to open up in a relaxed environment to talk about things that maybe be hard to talk about if it was just face to face.”

A very big THANK YOU to Garsons for generously providing the tickets for this spooktacular event.

Find out more about our Echoes service here