My thanks to all our volunteers - it is wonderful to be Chair of an
agency which provides a service that helps so many people
overcome the trauma of loss, by providing individuals with
counsellors from a variety of different cultures, who can
understand the many rituals and customs associated with the
death of a loved one, in a borough that is rich in languages,
ethnicity and individualism.
I want to express my appreciation to our funders for their support,
which gives us the ability to maintain a free service provision in a
borough with extreme economic hardship. When a loved one dies
an income often dies with them, and in an area of deprivation, life
insurance is not always a prime concern. This leaves families
unable to meet their financial commitments and causes even more
hardship and emotional distress, which simply adds to their
suffering and ill health.
My thanks to Paulo and Raksha for their continued hard work - I
know it is not easy to listen to all the problems and the disturbing
stories of the bereaved people who call every single day seeking
advice and support - you do a wonderful job.
I also want to thank my Management Committee colleagues and
our supervisors, Valerie, Rohini and Jacqui, for their devotion to
our work.