Loss and Grief Week 2018

This year, organisations around the country are planning to raise awareness of the impact loss and grief can have, on the lives of children, young people, whānau and community.

The theme for the Loss and Grief week 2018 is ‘let’s talk about it’. It is important to give people a safe, nonjudgmental space to talk about their losses.

Skylight will again be hosting the ‘TradeMe Celebrity Lunch Auctions' this year. The lunches are an opportunity to lunch with a well-known New Zealander and to raise money for the Skylight Flashlight Fund. The Flashlight Fund, founded by Jeni Bryant, helps people to access counselling who may not otherwise afford it. 

The celebrities who have been kind enough to donate their time and help raise funds for Skylight are: Skylight Patron Judy Bailey, Skylight Patron Louise Nicolas, Jan Logie MP,

Tamati Coffey MP, Radio personality Polly Gillespie, and National Correspondent Patrick Gower. 

People can start bidding now through to 29 July 2018. Skylight's social media pages will keep them updated.

From the 25th July to the 3rd of August, Skylight is installing a “Before I die” wall on the Bond Street container in central Wellington. The container will be transformed into a black chalkboard where people can write their life’s hopes and dreams. The “Before I die” wall originated in New Orleans as a response to the grief of losing a friend to cancer. This experiment in a public space has become a global art project, with more than 400 "Before I die" walls in 60 countries and 25 languages and now for a second time it will be in Wellington. The container has been supported by Wellington City Council, Resesne Paint, the Newtown Community and Cultural Centre and Simply Building. This project has been made possible through a generous donation from Wilson’s Funeral Home.

Skylight Trust launched a new digital resource on Monday 23 July. The Resilience Hub will help children, young people, their whānau and communities across Aotearoa New Zealand to build resilience. The hub has extensive resources for people experiencing loss and grief, or for those supporting someone who is.

To find out more:  skylight.org.nz