Liverpool bereavement support charity at risk of closure
A fundraiser has been set up to try and raise £90,000
A Liverpool charity supporting bereaved families following the loss of a child is at risk of closure.
Love, Jasmine was set up ten years ago by Rob and Kathy Lapsley, following the death of their daughter Jasmine.
The charity received funding from The National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund three years ago, which runs out this year.
A new application to continue funding from July 2026, but that was unsuccessful.
A fundraising campaign has now been set up - with the charity saying that £90,000 is needed to maintain current service levels.
Love, Jasmine co-founder Rob Lapsley said:
"If we hadn't stopped any of our services and carried on the way we would have done, we would have been closed by Christmas. What we've had to do is cut some services right now and over the next eight weeks, we're actually reducing a lot of the support that we're providing families.
"If we're not doing it, it just puts pressure back on the NHS, GP surgeries, mental health. The NHS are one of our biggest referrers, they are our biggest referrer, so if we're not there, we're not there providing that support and it's long-term support for many families. They're not just coming and getting eight sessions. Some of them are with us for years."
The charity will be holding its own fundraising activities over the coming months, which is set to include a sponsored walk and fundraising evening.
M**r Lapsley added:**
"I don't think I'm overstating if I say it would be devastating (if they couldn't continue). Personally for me and Kathy, it would be really, really hard. I know there's been times when you think, oh my God, what are we doing? But then you think, we can't let this go. We can't just let this after everything over the last ten years, we can't let it go. We will do everything that we can to keep it going because the families mean a lot to us and it's not just words, they really mean an awful lot to us.
"The lottery (funding) runs out at the end of July. The reason we're going public now is so we can continue in August. So we really need as much through the door as we can before August, if we're being honest. And then once we know where we're up to a little bit, hopefully we start putting stuff back in."