New role funded to support the move from child to adult services
Tom’s Trust is funding a new role at Addenbrookes to ensure that teenagers in East Anglia, who are living with the after-effects of a brain tumour and its treatment, are supported in their transition from child health services to adult health services. Taking up the role of Independence Support Specialist is Caitlyn Gray, an assistant […]
An interview with Dr Emily Townsend, Tom’s Trust clinical psychologist at Oxford Children’s Hospital
It has been three months since our newest service, that support the Thames Valley region, launched. The service runs from Oxford Children’s Hospital and is already reporting significant impact. We took a moment this Children’s Mental Health Week to catch up with Dr Emily Townsend, our Tom’s Trust clinical psychologist. We discuss her first three […]
The impact of a brain tumour on children’s mental health
This week (3-9 February) is Children’s Mental Health Week and gives us the opportunity to shine a spotlight on the children we support and how a brain tumour diagnosis impacts their mental health. Tom’s Trust is the UK’s only charity dedicated to providing mental health support to children and young people, with brain and central […]
Our Sibling Toolkit – one year on
This time last year we launched our Sibling Toolkit – the UK’s first ever resource designed to support the siblings of children with cancer. The toolkit addresses the ongoing challenges and needs of children who experience the trauma of the diagnosis, treatment, after-effects, and sometimes bereavement of their sibling from cancer and is designed to help […]
Where to find support when grieving
If you or your family are struggling through grief do reach out to one or all of these services. Help is out there. You are not alone. If you have access to one, please also reach out to your Tom’s Trust clinical psychologist. Find out where we work. Other organisations: At A Loss and The […]
Supporting children through bereavement
Grieving is a long and sometimes difficult process. It can be tricky to know what is normal and when you might need to access more support. Grief is messy We no longer tend to think about grief as happening in stages, so don’t worry if you or your child are not going through the stages […]
Six things to remember when talking to children about death and dying
Our Director of Services Development and clinical psychologist, Dr Lynda Teape, offers guidance on talking to children after the death of a loved one. 1. Keep talking It can be difficult to know where to start and what language to use. You may have never had to talk to a child about death before and […]
Ten ways to support a grieving parent
Our Director of Services Development, and clinical psychologist, Dr Lynda Teape offers guidance on how to support a grieving parent. 1. Acknowledge your own grief and discomfort. This will likely bring up lots of difficult feelings for you and so it’s important to make sure that you are looking after yourself. You likely knew the […]
Navigating grief after the death of a child
When a child dies, it is a pain like no other, and that pain can be emotional, psychological and physical. We not only lose that child, but we also lose the imagined future for them and for us. It disrupts the whole family system and impacts your relationships with the other parent and any other […]
Facing grief
Monday 2 December marks the start of Grief Awareness Week. Tom’s Trust itself was born out of the death of a child, beautiful Tom. Tom was eight when he was diagnosed with a huge Medulloblastoma brain tumour, he died eight months after his initial symptoms. Debs Mitchell, Tom’s mum and Co-Founder of Tom’s Trust says: […]
Project launched exploring inequality in access to psychological care within childhood brain tumour services
A pilot year-long project studying the inequality in access to psychological care within childhood brain tumour services, and the implications on access to clinical trials, has been launched by a team at the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle and funded by Tom’s Trust. This unique project aims to understand the differences in resources across […]
Trustees’ Week – talking to our trustee Anil Malhotra
This Trustees’ Week we are shining a light on the important work our trustees do. A trustee oversees a charity’s operations, ensures it fulfils its mission, manages funds responsibly, complies with laws, and acts in the charity’s best interests without personal gain. Our eight trustees provide their time and expertise voluntarily to Tom’s Trust, and […]