I WOULD like to thank all those people who supported the collection held at the Tesco Store, Warndon, Worcester on Saturday May 7, 14 on behalf of PEAL - Parents Experiencing Adult Loss, which raised £115.39.

This money will go directly toward enabling PEAL to give support to parents throughout Worcestershire who are grieving the death of a child over the age of 16 and adult siblings.

The death of a child at any age is devastating. When an adult child dies, parents are faced with the loss of their long-term relationship with them, as well as the loss of the future they expected for them.

The same applies to adult siblings, who are confronted by their own grief, that of their parents, their own mortality, and the impact of the death upon their place within the family, as well as the family's future.

Grief is normal response to loss, but we all react differently. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, but grief can be complicated and confusing. PEAL is a free, countrywide service offering confidential one-to-one support, parent and sibling support groups, and a helpline that is staffed on Tuesdays from 7.30-9.30pm and Fridays from 3.30-5.30pm.

At all other times there is an answering service to take calls. Anyone seeking help please call us on 01905 723001.

ANGELA GERRARD,

Support Services Manager, PEAL.