The Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA) is donating £10,000 to its nominated charity, Grief Encounter. 

The donation includes the funds raised at the CHSA’s 2023 Gala Ball. 

Grief Encounter supports bereaved children and their families to help alleviate the pain caused by the death of someone close.  The donation will contribute to four families attending the Grief Encounter Residential Camp over a weekend, meeting other bereaved families, allowing them to feel less isolated, but also having new, fun experiences, together as a family. 

Caroline Shaikh of Grief Encounter explained: “With this help we can continue to walk beside every bereaved child and young person that comes to us in their darkest moments to make sure that their harm is not hidden, their experience not unnoticed and their grief not the end of their story.”

Lorcan Mekitarian, chair of the CHSA said: “This donation is thanks to the generosity of our members who have consistently supported our fund-raising activities, most notably at our annual Gala Ball. We are incredibly proud, that with their support, we are able to give something back in this way.”

The 2023 Gala Ball was made possible by the sponsors: Greyland, Metsa Tissue, Nationwide Hygiene Group and Polaris. Raffle prizes were donated by Berry bpi, Cromwell Polythene, DJB Supplies, Evans Vanodine, Harison Wipes, Jangro, Lucart, Metsa Tissue, Nationwide Hygiene Group, Northwood, Polaris Polyco Healthline and SC Johnson Professional. Prizes were also donated by Grief Encounter, Chesford Grange and Guest & Co. 

Founded in 2003, Grief Encounter is one of the leading children’s bereavement charities providing free, professional bereavement support to children, young people and their families in England and Wales. Its vision is a world where no child grieves alone and its mission is to help bereaved children, young people and their families to find hope and healing.

Grief Encounter’s next residential takes place in October 2023. A team of staff and fully qualified and accredited bereavement counsellors will facilitate the camp, with children taking part in therapeutic workshops and physical activities over the course of the weekend. Therapeutic activity could include discussing hopes and fears, sitting around a campfire to share grief stories, listening to folk stories about sharing feelings, or creating memory boxes. Physical activities could include challenge courses, hiking or trapeze climbing.