Celebrity lunches and loss and grief talks for Loss and Grief Week 2017

Date 07/19/2017

Grief and loss - it touches all of us at some stage but how equipped are we to deal with it when it comes?

“Probably not as well as we should be,” says Skylight Chief Executive Heather Henare. Her organisation provides support and counselling to over 16,000 New Zealanders a year going through difficult times – but it needs your help to keep providing these services.

Skylight is spearheading Loss and Grief Week 2017 from 24 to 30 July to raise awareness and funds so it can keep offering free counselling to those who would otherwise miss out.

Ms Henare says being properly supported to cope with grief and loss can be life changing.

“One man who attended one of our support groups had lost a mother and brother to suicide. What he learned through Skylight completely changed his life. Following his experience with Skylight he was able to communicate with his children and partner properly and for the first time his stomach troubles ceased,’ says Ms Henare.

Grief following suicide is the focus of one of the Loss and Grief talks at Wellington’s City Gallery on Monday 24 July during Loss and Grief Week. Other topics will include men and grief, Māori healing, the end of life in hospices, a LGBTQI youth perspective on loss and grief, and how to help someone who is grieving. These talks are open to the public and are a gold coin entry.

The Passion of Augustine – a movie fundraiser – is on Sunday 23 July at the Lighthouse Cuba; while Monday 24 July sees the City Gallery Gold Coin Loss and Grief Talks. All week long there is a chance to bid on a lunch with a host of celebrities including Polly Gillespie, Wellington Mayor Justin Lester, Mikey Havoc, TāneMahuta Grey or Lee & Sala from Survivor New Zealand.

The Skylight WelTec Dinner and auction is on Thursday 27 July; and Monday July 24-30 All Black supporters can bid for a signed 2017 Lions Rugby Tour All Black jersey – kindly donated by the New Zealand Rugby Union. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1377815794

Check out Skylight’s Facebook Events page https://www.facebook.com/pg/Skylight-Trust-124156226579/events/?ref=page_internal
for more details on all these events and for links to the Trade Me auctions. For more information call 04 939 6767 or visitwww.skylight.org.nz.

ENDS

© Scoop Media