Praise from people affected by road crashes
"My fiance and partner of twelve years was killed by a lorry with defective brakes. We were both in the car. I am still recovering physically and mentally. I have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress, which affects me in many ways, including my concentration and memory. I found your guide of enormous help, if only to know what I was feeling was normal and I wasn’t going mad. When things like this happen you have no idea what to do. The more information you can get the better as it relieves some of the worry. Without the Brake bereavement guide I would have had little idea of what was going on, and I don’t know where I would be now.”
“Just a few words to express my gratitude for all the help I have received from Brake since the tragic death of my son. In particular, my sincere thanks go out to your helpline officer, whose tireless advice and support has led to us getting permission for a permanent roadside memorial at the place where his life was taken. Without Brake we would have been swamped by bureaucracy and given up.”
“We have found your bereavement guide a godsend. We have been using it as our bible. Everything in it is just how we were and are feeling, which has been a great comfort to us. We don’t think there is anything else you could put in it to make it any more informative. Thank you.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to tell you how grateful I am for all the support I have received from Brake since the death of my fiance and can honestly say that had I not received such care and support, I really don’t know what I would be doing now. The help I received through the frequent meetings I had with my support worker were invaluable and I now regard her as someone I am very lucky to know. The Brake bereavement guide provided me with information to reassure me that what I’m feeling is okay and normal and that there are people who care and can give help. I think that you do an excellent job.”
Praise from professionals
"Your guides for families following bereavement are by far the best handouts I have used in my 30 years of police service.” Richard Shakespeare, FLO, West Mercia Police
“We fully support Brake in its work of providing information guides for use in fatal and serious collisions. ACPO congratulates Brake on the production of these excellent documents and recommends their use to all forces.” The Association of Chief Police Officers
“I have used your children’s book “Someone has died in a road crash” with the parents of a young boy whose older brother was killed. The family say they they found the book invaluable and the book also prompted the 8 year old to write down questions for me when I visited again. Through the use of the book he has started to understand what has happened to his brother and it has helped him to talk about it with his parents. It has also helped me as a Family Liaison Officer to speak with the child.” DC Helen Neaverson, Nottinghamshire Police
“The book for children is fantastically worded and illustrated. I am very impressed. It is perfect to issue to parents for their children and covers all the main questions a child may wish to ask during the bereavement process.” Constable Robert Beeston, Lancashire Police
“You volunteer Tony Davison came to talk to our officers about the sad death of his son Adrian and Brake’s advice on appropriate support of bereaved families. Tony’s presentation had great impact. He shared with us the feelings that he felt at the time and how he and his family attempted to deal with this tragic bereavement. He gave all the officers valuable practical advice on how to work with families and stressed that, whatever happens, families want to know the truth. He appreciated that officers sometimes wish to protect families from the worst; however families really need to know what has happened. The feedback from those attending was absolutely amazing and many have indicated that it has given them extra tools to deal with this sensitive role. By learning from Tony’s presentation and real experiences of grief we will be able to assist other families in dealing with their bereavement. Tony made us aware that every family is unique. He made us recognise that at times Police Officers may say or do things that are not understood, are unexpected or confusing, and that any question from the family is important to answer.” Insp Harvey Carroll Central Motorway Police Group
“On behalf of the officers who attended the recent course you ran for Cumbria Constabulary Family Liaison Officers, can I thank you for your professionalism and thoroughness throughout. You prepared a challenging, provocative and hugely informative programme. It is clear you have a passion for supporting those affected by trauma and for championing their causes. You can feel justifiably proud that you have now trained all the officers in Cumbria Constabulary who will be acting as Family Liaison officers to families bereaved following a death on our roads, and the increasing wealth of letters of appreciation and comments passed to the service as a result of their actions over the past year is testament to your work.” Sgt Tim Ward, Family Liaison Coordinator
“I wish to record how grateful we are at Surrey Police for your training of our officers. Without your specialist and first hand input, these courses would not have the same value for the officers attending and we are aware of the impact that your sessions have on their bank of necessary knowledge, which enables them to carry out their role. We are very appreciative of your willingness as a charity to help in this way.” Ian Edwards, Crime Faculty Trainer, Surrey
