Charlotte Carpenter, 24, received support from us after her brother James very sadly died, almost three years ago. As part of the support we offered, Charlotte and her mum attended a workshop at Creative Quilting in East Molesey, where they learnt to sew and made a giant quilt using some of James’ clothes.

Charlotte said: “It was a great workshop –other people were there making teddies and pillows using their children’s clothes. We had a laugh as mum even brought along some of James’s pants to include! Our quilt was so big that Emma, the lady who ran the workshop, kindly invited us to her house to help us finish it off. James absolutely loved the Union Jack, so his quilt is a replica of the flag, and all the items used are red, white and blue. When we go away as a family, we take James’ quilt with us and mum sprays it with his favourite cologne, so it is like he is there with us.”

Talking about the memory blankets, Charlotte said: “I have gone on to make 20 memory blankets for other people. The blankets are extra special, I can see how much it means to people when they receive them. I find sewing quite therapeutic – it is another thing to keep me busy, it helps me grieve for my brother, and it is lovely to be able to give something special to someone who is going through something so hard. Some people request that certain items have a prominence, or that particular logos and pockets are on a certain part of the blanket. I take lots of photos during the process and always get families to check they are happy before I sew it together. Each blanket takes me around eight hours to make.”

Charlotte has recently completed a memory blanket for a parent who is being supported through our Echoes service. Charlotte said: “The mum I made the blanket for absolutely loved it – when she came to collect it, she said she was going to sleep with it that night, and she knew having the comfort of her daughter wrapped around her, would make her sleep so much better.”

Looking to the future, Charlotte said: “I’d love to make more blankets for other Momentum-supported families. It is a unique way of giving something back and hopefully helping others through their grief. I have recently started talking to another young person who has lost their sibling, and it has been really helpful to talk to someone who knows exactly how this feels. I would love to be part of a Momentum buddy scheme for bereaved siblings.”

A huge thank you to Charlotte for all you are doing to support bereaved families.

If you are an Echoes-supported family and would like a memory blanket, please speak to your Family Support Worker. For more information about our Echoes service, please click here