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 Post subject: Input from Roadpeace NW
PostPosted: Fri Sep 09, 2005 10:56 
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Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 22:53
Posts: 565
Location: Kendal
Hi Belladonna,

Was involved in a force Family Liaison Officer (FLO) conference on Wednesday at our HQ at Penrith.

We had input from the National Blood service re organ and tissue donation.
The local group ofSAMM - Support after Murder and Manslaughter also spoke, with some good long term care/help plans for 'Secondary victims' right through to rehabilitation of offender.
We had a rep from the witness care unit who are developing a programme of witness care through the Court system.

And we had Kay H from Roadpeace who had a dramatic story regarding the judicial failure in her own collision some years ago when she lost her husband and daughter, and the total lack of support available to her. She was very informative and helped us understand more what you are about.
I was very pleased by Kay's analysyis of her motives for campaigning , and the general feeling I got from your promotional video that there was much more reference to dangerous driving, particular road user groups, and drink drug problems than the usual default option of blaming speed for everything. I must say I found it quite refreshing.

Couple of questions.

Kay was flanked by the force chaplains, and there was talk of a service of remembrance in November in Carlisle. Now I wouldn't obviously associate you with things clerical, but is there support for Roadpeace by religious organisations?

Is your main raison d'etre a campaigning charity for the alteration of the law to emphasise the death rather than the level of driver negligence, and if so do you as a group have a specific legislative change which you would like to see?

Do you have an in house support structure to help secondary victims (families) through their grieving and judicial processes or do you offer a referral service to other agencies?

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2005 18:33 
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Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2005 17:33
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IanH wrote:
Hi Belladonna,

Was involved in a force Family Liaison Officer (FLO) conference on Wednesday at our HQ at Penrith.

We had input from the National Blood service re organ and tissue donation.
The local group ofSAMM - Support after Murder and Manslaughter also spoke, with some good long term care/help plans for 'Secondary victims' right through to rehabilitation of offender.
We had a rep from the witness care unit who are developing a programme of witness care through the Court system.

And we had Kay H from Roadpeace who had a dramatic story regarding the judicial failure in her own collision some years ago when she lost her husband and daughter, and the total lack of support available to her. She was very informative and helped us understand more what you are about.
I was very pleased by Kay's analysyis of her motives for campaigning , and the general feeling I got from your promotional video that there was much more reference to dangerous driving, particular road user groups, and drink drug problems than the usual default option of blaming speed for everything. I must say I found it quite refreshing.

Couple of questions.

Kay was flanked by the force chaplains, and there was talk of a service of remembrance in November in Carlisle. Now I wouldn't obviously associate you with things clerical, but is there support for Roadpeace by religious organisations?

Is your main raison d'etre a campaigning charity for the alteration of the law to emphasise the death rather than the level of driver negligence, and if so do you as a group have a specific legislative change which you would like to see?

Do you have an in house support structure to help secondary victims (families) through their grieving and judicial processes or do you offer a referral service to other agencies?



Hi Ian,
Great to hear from you.
I personally have not met Kay, but have heard of her name.
I am not sure whether Kay was representing the overall thoughts of Roadpeace UK, or her individual group feelings. But, it would seem from what you have said that in general this is what Roadpeace is trying to accomplish.
As I have said before, our group tries not to be a campaigning group, although we are still new, and certain circumstances and when different members join, we may 'help' and support them in their particular campaign.
Why did we choose to operate this way? Well, it was felt between the present members that we could help move Roadpeace on by supporting in a practical way. Often families cannot even cope with everyday life, as I am sure you are aware. taking the children to school in the immedient aftermarth, or shopping can be an ordeal, because there is a feeling that 'everyone' is watching you, knows all about it, etc. Even arranging the funeral, or afterwards visiting the grave, inquest, is sometimes difficult both pracically and emotionally.
We want to be there in body, or at the end of a phone, e mail, etc. We intend to start up a 'drop in' for anyone to visit, and either talk, have a coffee, or just advice on the right people to go to to help.
We are also looking into the issue of how people deal with grief, and what extra support may be available. I myself have just come back from a 2 day course on 'Energy Psychology', and natural healing within greif, and dealing with trauma in an holistic way. Much was said about helping the bereaved, but also the people that work in the emergency services.
This was origianlly what roadpeace was started for, with the extra support of campaigning and giving advivce for safety on the road. But because of variuous reasons it now spends more time campaigning then any other process. Nothing wrong with that, but .......
Yes, there is a service of rememberance in Carlise, and other places.
We have talked here in the NW/Cumbria area about doing something that has no religous connitations, but as yet am still in the planning stages.
But yes, many members of the 'cloth' are a great support of Roadpeace, infact the hospital chaplin at lancaster Hospital is a personal friend, and is very supportive.


Is your main raison d'etre a campaigning charity for the alteration of the law to emphasise the death rather than the level of driver negligence, and if so do you as a group have a specific legislative change which you would like to see?
I think I may have answered this above. But, no we would rather help people to accept that the death has happened and help them to move through all the grief stages they need to deal with.
We as a group do not have a specific legislative chjange that we would, at this time, like to see.



Do you have an in house support structure to help secondary victims (families) through their grieving and judicial processes or do you offer a referral service to other agencies.

Boy this is a passion of mine...............I would SO,SO, like to see our group be that one that succeeds in this.
It would be great if we actually knew when there was a crash in our area. Not weeks later but days. Then we could be immediet support. famalies that crash far from home, and may have lost a partner/child, and themselves are hospilised. We would be able to do the practical things for them. But alas we are not imformed untill well after the event. I understand the reasons, but our hands are tied.
Yes, our group are pushing hard to help the families through their grieving and judicial processes, but it is hard to gain the confidence of the 'services' that are structured into already helping these people. But, we will persist.
I realise our approach may seem different to what you have heard about Roadpeace already, but we believe that we can all work together, and each of us has an important contribution to give.
Blessings

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belladonna
'Wisdom is knowing how little we know'
Socrates


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