Hilltop’s Charity of Choice

Hilltop Outdoor Centre have supported Nelson's Journey for nearly 15 years, from their very first therapeutic residential weekend. Nelson's Journey has been 'a part' of our Hilltop family for many years – it's a 2-way partnership in which we work together for the benefit of the children.

Nelson's Journey visit Hilltop many times throughout the year holding various Activity Days and Residential Weekends for children from 6 -17. Well over 1000 children have benefitted from a therapeutic intervention at Hilltop where they have met others who have been through similar experiences, enjoyed confidence building activities with the Hilltop Team, and learned coping mechanisms to deal with their difficult emotions surrounding their bereavement.  

In 2015 we supported the Nelson’s Journey Smiles Awards and we were delighted to be awarded the ‘Best Long Term Supporter Award’ along with the honourable mention by the judges for the ‘Overall Impact Award’, acknowledging the length of time Hilltop had supported the charity, along with the amount of money Hilltop had helped the charity save over that period.

Hilltop support and sponsor Nelson’s Journey each year at many events including their Christmas Quiz, Purple Picnic and Comedy Ball. 

Hilltop also donated a volunteer’s reward party with a disco and buffet at the Woodland Centre at Hilltop in February 2015 and 2016. 

 

A bit about Nelson’s Journey….

Nelson's Journey is a charity that supports children and young people aged 0 - 17 years, living in Norfolk, who have experienced the death of a significant person in their life. 

Nelson’s Journey was established in the mid-90s by a group of social workers after they attended a course in Caistor St Edmund where they learnt about Winston’s Wish, a charity supporting bereaved children in Gloucestershire. They saw a real need to set up a similar organisation in Norfolk, and in November 1997, the charity was registered. 

The vision at Nelson’s Journey is to give every bereaved child the support they need to move forward positively with their lives, never having to cope with their loss alone.

The range of group interventions for children and young people that Nelson’s Journey provides include: therapeutic weekends, activity days (including a day for children and young people with Special Educational Needs) held at Hilltop Outdoor Centre, NJ Clubs (youth club style groups for bereaved children and young people), 1:1 support and therapeutic family events. 

In 2016 Nelson’s Journey received referrals for over 790 children. These are children coping after the death of a significant person in their life e.g. a parent, sibling, grandparent or best friend.  Nelson’s Journey help them move forward positively following their experience.

Simon Wright, Chief Executive of Nelson’s Journey, says: “The support provided to us by Hilltop is tremendous. The Hilltop Outdoor Centre is a fantastic facility for our residential weekends and activity days, and their staff are always enthusiastic about helping us to ensure that those events provide a hugely beneficial experience for Norfolk’s bereaved children. Over the last 15 years, Hilltop has helped Nelson’s Journey in countless ways, supporting our growth as a charity over a period of ever increasing demand for our services. We are incredibly grateful to Hilltop for their continuing support of our work.”