Bereaved children’s charity benefits from donation

The children’s bereavement charity, Jigsaw South East, received a donation of £10,000 from Wealden Crematorium at the end of last year, that came via the Metals Recycling Scheme, which is operated across the country by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM). Here at Tester & Jones, this is something we talk to our families about and seek their approval for.

Freddie St. George MBE, Grants & Business Partnerships Manager at Jigsaw South East visited Wealden Crematorium recently to thank the team for its support and tell them a little more about the charity’s work supporting children and young people who are facing the death of a close family member.

“It was during that visit that I was told of the role Tester & Jones played in ensuring the donation to Jigsaw,” says Freddie. “So, I wanted to thank you sincerely for being a big part of the process and for the very positive impact this donation is having. I hope your families will take comfort from knowing that their bereaved relative has made a huge contribution to our work. I really cannot overstate just how significant this support has been and how appreciative we are.”

Freddie adds: “Jigsaw South East is one of only a few providers of face-to-face bereavement support for children and young people in Sussex. We offer a very broad range of interventions, which are carefully designed and curated to strengthen support networks, equip children with meaningful coping skills and help them to begin to understand their grief.”

Jigsaw South East helps children and young people through the death of a loved one, with the vision that ‘children and young people will not be alone in their bereavement journey’.

This support is vital, particularly when you discover that 1 in 29 16-year-olds has been bereaved of a parent or sibling. Around 45% of the children and young people Jigsaw have been supporting experienced a sudden or unexpected death.

In 2025, Jigsaw South East supported 1107 children and young people (from 629 families) who were facing or coping with the death of a loved one; 119 parents, carers and professional attended its online information evenings; and Jigsaw provided 3006 hours of Support Worker Guidance, in addition to helpline support, activities, events and online sessions.

Find out more about Jigsaw South East.