Bereavement charity begins crowdfunding amid fears of closure
The campaign’s target of £25k will allow the charity to stay open and tackle a waiting list of 40 people in need for counselling
Butterflies Bereavement Support has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £25k, saying it only has six weeks left of funding and fears it may have to close.
The charity, which is based in Eastleigh and operates in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, offers counselling sessions with qualified professionals, bereavement groups and weekly friendship phone calls from a ‘buddie’.
However, since donations have slowed the bereavement charity has found it difficult to keep up with costs and provide help.
So far, the charity has received approximately £1,500 in donations. The campaign’s target amount will allow the charity to stay open and tackle a waiting list of 40 people in need for counselling.
Julie Lamont, chair of Butterflies Bereavement Support, said: “I can’t stress enough the urgency of the situation and the impact it will have if we close. One of our clients said it all when he thanked the charity for the support he had received and said, ‘I can now live my life again’.
“Since Covid, we’ve seen more and more cases of people in desperate need. Many still feel great guilt and shame from not being able to see their loved one at the time of their death and we will see this for years to come.”
According to the Charity Commission, Butterflies spent £29,230 in 2023 despite having had a total income of £21,638, £9k of which was from government grants.
Butterflies Bereavement Support was founded in 2019 and is run by 60 volunteers who support hundreds of people struggling with bereavement and loss.
