A grant from Manx Lottery Trust will enable volunteers at Cruse Bereavement Care Isle of Man to undertake more training, as well as helping save time and money spent on admin duties.

The Trust has awarded Cruse Isle of Man ?1,289 to cover the cost of a new laptop and a new photocopier.

Cruse, who will be celebrating 30 years of service this year, offers free, voluntary and confidential bereavement support to anyone in the Isle of Man.  Founded in 1988, it is partly funded by the Department of Health and Social Care but relies heavily on other donations.

Cruse’s Bereavement Support Volunteers are drawn from various backgrounds and undergo special training in the process of grieving and working with bereaved people, including those affected by suicide, sudden death, and the death of a child.

Amanda Cafearo, Service Coordinator from Cruse, said: ‘Our administration team has doubled in size over the last 12 months, with workload increasing by 18% for adult referrals and 26% for children’s referrals. The new photocopier and laptop will both help ease our administration function to support this level of activity.

‘The new copier will allow the admin team to manage the increased number of volunteers and staff more effectively, and save money and time as we won’t have to outsource our copying. The laptop means we have three workstations, rather than just two, and will assist in delivering ongoing training and development needs, and is available for use out of hours too.’

Lulu Gillow, Chair of Manx Lottery Trust, said: ‘Cruse offers such an important service to the Island, and we hope that the additional equipment will assist the team in its work with those who are grieving and who need support.’

For more information about Cruse Bereavement Care Isle of Man visit: www.cruseisleofman.org.

To find out more about the work of the Manx Lottery Trust visit: www.mlt.org.im.