A STOURPORT-based organisation has received a £5,000 grant to fund a project to train volunteer mentors and staff in supporting children and young people bereaved by traumatic bereavement, such as suicide of a parent or family member.

The Santander Foundation grant to Mentor Link was provided from the foundation’s Community Plus initiative, which provides grants of up to £5,000 for projects that help disadvantaged people in local communities.

The grant will provide specialist training to the volunteer mentors and staff on the impact of traumatic bereavement on children and young people, provide peer support for the children and supervision for the mentors.

Andrea Maddocks, chief executive of Mentor Link, said: "This is wonderful news for the charity as, sadly, we have seen an increase in the number of referrals for traumatic bereavement.

"The charity is dedicated to providing the best possible service to children and young people and we see this grant as helping us to do so.

"If anyone would like to contact Mentor Link about this new service or make referrals please contact our head office on 01299 822336 or enquiries@mentorlink.org.uk."

Jamie Hughes of Santander’s Kidderminster branch said: “Community Plus allows our staff and customers to nominate local charities that are most in need of assistance. We are delighted to be supporting Mentor Link and hope the donation makes a real difference to local people.”

The Community Plus fund provides grants of up to £5,000 to small, local charities with funding available to cover salaries, equipment or materials.

Mentor Link provides weekly one-to-one support to children and young people across Worcestershire by providing them with a volunteer mentor.

The aim of the mentoring is to provide an informal listening ear and improve confidence, relationships, emotional resilience and engagement.

Formed in 2002 the charity now mentors around 350 young people each week across Worcestershire.