Family Business Provides Funding Boost For The Archie Foundation

Young people and children who are struggling with grief after experiencing loss will be able to take part in supportive activity days, thanks to a generous donation.

Allied Parts, through its charitable arm the Allied Vehicles Charitable Trust, has donated £2,000 to The ARCHIE Foundation, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of children in healthcare and bereavement.

The funding will help to expand ARCHIE’s Child Bereavement Service, a programme based at the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital which provides critical emotional support to children who have lost someone close to them.

Through tailored activity days that reduce isolation and encourage healing, the ARCHIE Foundation serves children and families across North Scotland, providing emergency grants, parent accommodation, and funding for healthcare staff and equipment that goes beyond NHS provisions.

ARCHIE’s Child Bereavement Service is a light in the dark for young people struggling with the complex series of emotions that come with the grieving process.

Their service has grown annually, helping hundreds of children affected by loss resulting from terminal illness, overdose, road traffic accidents and more. ARCHIE’s approach offers immediate tailored support to ensure children process their grief in a healthy and lasting way.

The donation from Allied Parts will also fund ARCHIE’s Activity Days Programme which offers bereaved children a safe space to meet peers who understand their experiences. These days help children to rebuild confidence, manage grief, and understand that they are not alone.

Events range from craft sessions and bowling nights to seasonal gatherings and visits to places like the Dolphin Centre at Spey Bay. The program supports over 350 families, allowing both children and parents to connect with others facing similar challenges.

On Saturday 9th November, ARCHIE’s Child Bereavement Service hosted their winter activity day at the Hilton Sports Centre, Aberdeen. Nineteen children and their families came together for a day of winter crafts and memories.

Malcolm Stewart, the bereavement services manager said, “This donation from Allied will allow us to help children who are experiencing grief after suffering significant loss and ensure that they process this incredibly complex series of emotions in a supported, healthy way. We’re very grateful to Allied Parts, and The Trust, for supporting our mission."

“We run a number of free-to-attend activity days over the course of the year for children and young people who have suffered a bereavement. Bereaved children often believe that they are the only ones to have suffered a loss, bringing them together shows that they are not alone."

John Forbes, General Manager at Allied Parts Aberdeen, said “We’re honoured to support The ARCHIE Foundation’s inspiring work. Helping bereaved children to feel connected and resilient through tailored activity days is a wonderful way for them to begin healing. We hope our contribution will enable ARCHIE to reach even more families who need them across the region.”