Andy's Angels - this is how an extraordinary Sussex charity is helping families cope with grief and look to the future with positivity
Andy’s Angels is an extraordinary Worthing-based charity supporting children and families through bereavement.
According to the people who benefit from it, what makes this Sussex service so special is the way it creates a genuinely safe and welcoming space where families can simply be together while navigating the loss of a loved one.
During a visit in my capacity as High Sheriff of West Sussex, Kayla Shepherd the Founder and Project Lead explained: “Through play, conversation, creativity and connection, children are given permission to express their feelings in ways that feel natural and understood.
"In a world where grief can often feel lonely and overwhelming, Andy’s Angels offers comfort, understanding and a sense of belonging.”
They have an inspirational intergenerational bereavement choir, which brings people of different ages together through the shared experience of remembrance, support and hope.
The warmth within the café was evident. I was told: “It is a place where tears are met with kindness, memories are cherished, and families are reminded they do not have to face their journey alone.
“Andy’s Angels is making a profound difference to bereaved families across West Sussex, helping them find strength, connection and moments of light during some of life’s darkest times.”
Their Grief Play Cafe is once a month at Hope Hive in St Dunstan’s Road, Worthing. https://andysangels.org.uk/
We saw families engaged in traditional games, youngsters talking about everything from their favourite books to the recently concluded BBC series Celebrity Traitors.
Outside, children were demonstrating their skills with a ball.
Coffee and some superb locally-baked cakes helped give context and calm. The Grief Play Cafe displayed no signs of misery. There was, instead, a real positivity, joy, and of families coming together in a shared sense of experience.
I commend Kayla and everyone who made the visit so rewarding – and who work tirelessly with organisation and fund-raising to make Andy’s Angels the charity that it is.