End of an era for school bereavement fundraiser

Eleven-year-old Bea is celebrating her final Red Day, an event to raise money for bereavement charities organised after her dad died five years ago.

Bea, from Ilkley, unexpectedly lost her dad Nick to a heart attack. After going to hospital with chest pain, the 55-year-old never returned, leaving behind two daughters, Bea and Maisie, and wife Sarah.

In memory of Nick, Bea's school Sacred Heart, organised a Red Day – a fundraising event when children dress in red and hold bake sales – the money from which went to buying teddy bears for bereaved children.

But now Bea is in Year Six she's preparing to leave primary school and said she would miss the supportive teachers.

Wearing a red Manchester United shirt, her dad's favourite team, she said she remembered him as "always being caring and kind".

"He always liked to sit on the sofa, me and him watching football and eating Dorritos," she said.

The first Red Day helped buy 70 Bereavement Bears, which were given to children who had lost a parent or sibling at the Emergency Departments at St James' Hospital, Leeds General Infirmary and Leeds Children's Hospital.

Now Red Day raises enough money to help fund grief training for other schools.

Assistant headteacher Claire Gillhooly said Bea was in her class when Nick died and she had never experienced supporting a child who was going through unexpected loss before.

"It was a loss for me to know how to support her," she said.

"And reflecting on that we arranged for Child Bereavement UK to come up from London and we had 23 primary schools from the local area access training so they know what to do if this happens to a child in their school."

Mum Sarah said Nick would have "hated the attention" but it was a really nice celebration of his life.

"It's lovely that everybody remembers Nick and share stories of him and celebrates his life. It's nice to hear the children talking about grief rather than it being a taboo subject, which it can be," she said.

"There will be tears later and then there will be smiles and all the emotions come out but it's fantastic to see such a great school community come together and share all the emotions."

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