Tees Valley & Durham Area
Cruse Bereavement Care
Support and Resource Centre

Newsletter Summer 2006

Friends of Cruse

We need to find a number of volunteers across the area to assist in organising street collections, local sponsorship events, collections outside supermarkets and football grounds and anything else you can think of to raise the local fundraising total even higher in 2006/07 than the £6,355 achieved last year. If you are interested you can join or even organise the fundraising team, contact Friends of Cruse who will be co-ordinating fundraising events.

Annual Conference Friday 19th May 2006
Morton Park Business Centre

Our 5th Annual Conference on 19th May went very well. Delegates attended from a wide variety of organizations including the Probation and Prison Services, PCT's, the Voluntary and Community Sector, students and of course the Cruse volunteers.

Dr Marion Gibson's keynote speech was exceptionally well received and brought an emotional immediacy to the early part of the day.

After a buffet lunch, Julie Ellison explored the role of the Family Liaison Officer and how the family assistance centre was set up in London after the 7th July bombings. Her talk was very interesting and she even managed to inject some humour into the topic!

With excellent workshops plus coffee, tea and biscuits, the day was a great success.

Comments received included:

"The speakers gave me insight into different aspects, all equally thorough in their field"

"Excellent insight into a very difficult subject from people who know"

"A worthwhile, rewarding and inspiring day which I will recommend to colleagues"

A big thanks is also due to our sponsors, Latimer Hinks Solicitors and Redcar and Cleveland Community Learning Chest who very kindly helped to fund the day. Thanks also to all the stewards and organizers who made the day run smoothly.