Audrey

Audrey's journey to volunteering with Cruse Scotland is deeply personal. She shares her story and what she has learned whilst working with children and young people going through grief.

What drew you to volunteer for Cruse Scotland?

My parents died when I was very young, and most of my family by the time I was 11.

Throughout my career, I was drawn to working with children who had experienced early loss like mine. After completing counselling training, I decided it was time to volunteer for Cruse Scotland and give back.

In addition, my family members had long been involved with Cruse Scotland and benefited from its support, which strengthened my connection to the organisation.

What has volunteering with Cruse Scotland given you personally?

It has given me the huge privilege of working with children who have lost their way in grief.

It has also given me a strange and dysfunctional family around me. Everybody who works for Cruse Scotland helps each other through it, which is amazing.

I think it is a privilege to work with children and young people who are lost at that moment. So that is what I get out of it.

What are the differences in supporting a child or young person compared to an adult?

With children and young people, my approaches are through play and activities, and a person-centred approach.

I think children can be hard to work with when they are masking and hiding behind the grief. Playing activities can bring that out.

The only thing with children and young people is that we do not counsel; of course, it is not the same as with adults.

You are counselling an adult. We are not with children; we are really supporting them through the grief and trying to normalise where they are at.

Is there a particular conversation or connection with a client that has stayed with you?

Every single one of them. I think the biggest thing that has ever stuck with me was when I took a young person out to a graveyard.

She had never actually been to the funeral, and she had never been to a graveyard since her mother had been buried.

So, this was all very alien to her, and we got permission to take her to the graveyard.

I took her and got more information and more chat from this young person in the car and at the grave side than I ever did in the week sitting in a room.

There was something about being moved and out, and she shared so much that we did not know, and neither did the social worker at that point.

It was very powerful. That conversation has always stayed with me.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about volunteering at Cruse Scotland?

The first thing is to look after yourself. Where are you in life? Why do you want to volunteer?

That is important. I think a lot of people come from a kind heart and want to help. But we are not really helping or fixing. We are sitting and supporting.

I would say 100% volunteer for Cruse Scotland because the training is amazing.