A support group for parents who have lost a child has been set up partly thanks to a local golf club.
Amber Selvey, a woman who lost both her son and husband to the same disorder, has launched Together in Grief, the new Kent-based peer support group. The group meets at Revival Food & Mood in Whitstable every third Wednesday of the month, from 7pm to 8pm.
Amber, a nurse, developed the idea for the group while studying for her counselling, coaching and mentoring degree at Canterbury Christ Church University. The Evie Dove Foundation helped fund the degree through two £5,000 grants for her first and second years of study, enabling Amber to bring the group into the community. The money for the second year of funding was provided by Royal St George’s Golf Club.Amber lost her son, aged 24, in 2023, and her husband, aged 47, in 2017; both to the rare genetic disorder Alagille Syndrome. After more than 20 years working in paediatric nursing in East Kent, she hopes the group will offer parents a place to talk, listen and connect with others who understand their experience.
“Launching this group is something I feel called to do,” said Amber Selvey. “Nurses rarely receive funding beyond a first degree, so additional qualifications can be difficult to access. The Evie Dove Foundation’s support has made this group possible, and I’m grateful to offer something that can help families in our community. Through this degree, I’m also able to evolve the support I offer as a paediatric nurse, especially for children and young people experiencing emotional distress or hospital-related anxiety.”
The Evie Dove Foundation supports sick children and their families to access the best possible care by funding training for children’s healthcare professionals. To date, the foundation, set up in memory of Evie Dove who died of incurable brain cancer aged 13 in 2022, has raised over £425,000 and funded training for more than 200 children’s healthcare professionals across the UK.
“Amber’s compassion and expertise have a profound impact on children and their families,” said Howard Dove, trustee at The Evie Dove Foundation. “By funding specialist training for talented paediatric healthcare professionals, like Amber, we can spread Evie’s sparkle and help keep compassion at the heart of paediatric care.”
Amber’s second year grant was made possible by funding from Royal St George’s Golf Club, which was inspired by her story and donated specifically to support her training through The Evie Dove Foundation.
“Amber’s story moved all of us,” said Rob Moulsdale, trustee at The Royal St George’s Golf Club. “Her commitment to supporting families is extraordinary, and we are proud to help make her training possible via The Evie Dove Foundation. It’s a privilege to support both Amber and the Foundation in making a tangible difference to the lives of sick children and their families.”
For more information about Together in Grief, or to attend the group, please find the Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/954444594410862/
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