You Raise Me Up, a charity based in East Sussex, has been presented with a £12,000 cheque from Wealden Crematorium.
The charity was founded by the late Jane Brooks and her husband Fraser in June 2011, after finding themselves in desperate need of comfort after their daughter collapsed and died suddenly. The charity’s sole purpose is to raise funds to support families suffering the loss of a young person aged 16-25 years.
The crematorium is part of an Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management scheme, which sees recycling of metals following the cremation of a deceased person – done with the written consent of each bereaved family. Metals are recycled by the ICCM with proceeds shared between its members to donate to their chosen charity – and this year Wealden Crematorium chose You Raise Me Up, which has a coffee shop and support centre in Polegate High Street.
Councillor Pam Doodes, Wealden’s portfolio holder for Public Health, said, “This year we chose to donate to You Raise Me Up because of the wonderful work it does to provide compassion and support to families dealing with the bereavement of a young adult.
“I am very happy we are donating the money to the East Sussex based charity so that their important and selfless work can continue.”
You Raise Me Up’s Leesa Pattison, CEO of You Raise Me Up, said, “Without the amazing support of people and organisations like the Wealden Crematorium, our charity wouldn’t be able to continue.
“The donation that we have been given will help pay for our helpline to stay open for two years and support groups and it will fund one family’s care for two years.”
Wealden Crematorium is a Wealden District Council run state of the art facility set in 25 acres of rural countryside on the A267 just south of Horam. It offers multi-faith services and welcomes people across the country.
