A FUNERAL directors from Dorset is helping fund training courses for a charity that provides bereavement support to children.

Douch Family Funeral Directors, which has premises throughout the county, will fund half the cost of training courses for 10 tutors to be delivered by the charity Mosaic.

An estimated 2,500 children in Dorset are left bereaved by the death of a relative each year and the charity has offered support and advice to nearly 750 children up to the age of 18 since it was founded seven years ago.

Nick Douch, managing director of the funeral group, said death was often a taboo subject when children are involved and it was important they received support.

Mr Douch said: “Adults sometimes don’t speak to children about death, and if they do it can be treated as a fairy tale.

“It’s not natural to suppress a child’s inquisitiveness and just answering their questions honestly can really help them deal with the death and understand it.

“Just little things like explaining to them what will happen in the crematorium chapel and what happens to the coffin can often help a youngster deal with it much better.

Staff at the Douch Family Funeral Directors will be also be trained by Mosaic.

As well as providing individual support, Mosaic also offer residential weekends for the children and their families, and Margaret Hannibal, chief executive of the charity, said she wants to train as many teachers as possible in the county.

She said: “We believe it is really important to give teaching staff the confidence and skills to work with bereaved children and understand how they may react to the death of a loved one. Often teachers just need to know that what they are doing and saying is the right thing.

“Every child is unique and will deal with bereavement in their own way. Children may become withdrawn or angry, find it difficult to concentrate and their attendance and academic levels can drop.

“We are so grateful to Douch Family Funeral Directors for their financial support in running these courses.”

For more information on the courses, visit mosaicfamilysupport.org.uk