Help Us

Show your support for families following the death of a beloved child by volunteering your time, organising an event or fundraising

Fundraise

The first step to fundraising is choosing your idea! We can supply you with our fundraising pack where you will find a whole host of fundraising ideas, tools to help you raise money and also examples of the needs of the people we work with and the difference your fundraising will make. Here are some tips to help you achieve fundraising success:

Dare to be emotional

Now that you’re clear about your own motivation to ask people for money, think about how you can help them understand the urgency of the cause. You can use some of the personal stories in this guide to help you bring to life why bereaved families need the support we offer.

Demonstrate the impact of their gift

We all want to know how our donation money is being used. After all, we are keen to make sure our gift is helping where it is needed the most. You can explain the fact our organisation is run and delivered by a handful of dedicated volunteers and all the money raised is spent on the services we deliver.

Make use of all your channels

A Facebook post is a fantastic start to sharing your fundraiser. However, not all of your personal connections may have an account, or use this network frequently. To set your fundraiser up for success, really spread the word. The more exposure your fundraiser gets, the more people are likely to donate.

Don’t be afraid to ask twice

In an ideal world, all your supporters will see your call for donations and immediately leave a gift for your fundraiser. However, be prepared for several supporters to tell you ‘Sure, I’ll donate!’ - and then forgetting to actually make this donation. This is understandable, life can get busy. Which is why they will probably be grateful if you remind them of your fundraiser again in due time.

Volunteer

Get In Touch

Volunteers are the heart and soul of our organisation, and we can’t meet the needs of bereaved families without you. People choose to volunteer for many reasons, but many have experienced the devastating loss of a child either personally or by watching the experience of someone close to them. They remember the support they received, or didn’t receive, and want to give back to support others. Volunteering at BALM can take many forms. Some roles involve working directly with individuals in the early and acute phases of grief following the loss of the child, others support people through signposting and advice at any stage in the grief journey. Other roles might include raising awareness, fundraising, helping to create guides and information or practical administration to keep the organisation running. If you feel you have the time and passion to support BALM then we will find opportunities to fit around your ability and availability rather than trying to squeeze you into a job description.

Donate

Your gift could provide much needed support to a family going through the agonising death of a beloved child.

Helen – Benedict’s Mummy

‘When Benedict died suddenly, aged 5, we left hospital with the police and a pile of his clothes in our hands. At some point, someone gave us a ripped corner of lined paper with the number and email of a police officer and that remains the entirety of the support and signposting we have received as we battle coming to terms with the most devastating thing you can experience’. ‘With a 3 year old daughter, we were hoping there would be support to guide us through explaining the loss of her big brother, we assumed there would be counselling and that there would be support groups. We spent a lot of time calling different charities and organisations who told us they couldn’t help or recommending somewhere else. At a time when we had nothing left in the tank, for us to get any help in navigating this new world we had to make call after call, trawl the internet to research options and feel the further disappointment of having doors closed in our faces. BALM is amazing because when people are stumbling into this world of catastrophic grief, it scoops them up and tries to make it a little easier, and make them feel less alone, which is all you can do really’.