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Alisha and her family had a wild time during their stay at Little Bridge House recently. The Sibling Team had arranged a whole host of activities around the theme of 'Wild West' including panning for gold, which had been kindly donated by local business, Ilfracombe's fossil shop, 'Bones To Bones'. The children also got to

meet local police who had taken time out of their day to meet them!

The Sibling Team have a variety of themed days planned throughout the summer, including Italian, Middle East, Australian, and (British) festival. On the surface these may just seem like fun days for the siblings to enjoy, and they are very fun, but they also have a key role to play in helping the children express their feelings and learn through play. 

Here, Sally, pictured panning for gold explains: "The Sibling Team was formed at Little Bridge House back in 2003 following a survey that the Care Team sent out to families being supported. The results showed that some of the siblings felt that they needed more support, and so the sibling service was set up to meet that need.

When siblings come to stay with their poorly brother or sister, the sibling team go out of their way to make them feel really special, the aim is to build lasting relationships so that they feel comfortable talking to the team about anything they are worried about and can use strategies such as role play to help children express themselves.

There are dedicated Siblin

g Teams at each of the 3 hospices where a variety of activities are on offer to the siblings such as trips to the beach and nights out at the cinema. Importantly, it's at these stays that the siblings meet other children staying and build strong friendships through their shared experiences.

If you can, please make a donation to help support this vital service.