Butterfly Meadow- a bereavement project full of hope.

A special project is coming to Havering to help support bereaved parents.’Butterfly Meadow’ is a wellness project that gives parents hope and support after the loss of their child. Project founder Francesca Spiteri lost her son James at the age of just 21 months to a rare genetic disorder and through her own heartbreak now reaches out to provide much needed hope for many other parents out there.

Francesca told the Havering Daily:”When I lost my son I didn’t know of any places that were able to offer me some support and I discovered that there was a group just near me. The group Grieving Hearts is part of the Compassionate Friends organisation that supports bereaved parents.

“It was during the lockdown period in 2019 that Essex Wildlife Trust showed me a meadow that was very over grown and had suffered due to anti social behaviour.”

The meadow began the start of Francesca’s Butterfly Meadow project that has grown from strength to strength.

“The meadow is in Shenfield and is run by volunteers. It is now virtually rid of all anti social behaviour and a great place for the community. It is a place not for sorrow, but for hope. We encourage support for each other and are there to show that despite so much sadness, there can be hope and joy again.”

The meadow allows parents to work with nature that can be very healing.

Francesca added: “Nature is a great way to heal and our project allows for mental wellness by working as a community with nature”.

This fantastic project has received the support from Havering’s Mayor Councillor Trevor McKeever and has also received awards for all the amazing work done throughout the lock down periods.

Councillor McKeever told the Havering Daily:

Like most people, in our daily life’s we do not discus bereavement, so when it happens especially in unexpected circumstances it hits people very hard and in different ways, it is personal to everybody.
So to have a child pass before their parents must be devastating, that is why I will be supporting this initiative to help bereaved parents and family’s.
Whilst there may be leaflets available to guide you through the process, you cannot replace personal experience, when like minded people come together they can share there experiences, whilst the hurt and grief remain it does tend to soften the edges, it also helps to know that there are other people going through the same situation as yourself.
The ethos of healing through nature and moral support has my full backing and I will be fully supporting this initiative.

The group meet every second Tuesday of the month at 32 Hall Lane, Shenfield.

For more information, please see the link below.

http://www.butterflymeadowofficial.com