Rainbows GB 30 year Anniversary : A grass roots mission founded by Suzy Yehl Marta,

 

In Celebration of 30 years of Rainbows GB we will be running a series of Blogs to look at the history of Rainbows, the present and the future.

In our first blog we look at the work of the founder of Rainbows Suzy Yehl Marta (1945-2013) with special thanks to Frank and Sue McDermott (Patrons of Rainbows GB, who were involved with Rainbows GB from 1992-2020) for sharing their notes to help with the preparation of these blogs.

Suzy Yehl Marta founder of Rainbows for All Children, whilst growing up, dreamed of being a good wife and mother. She never considered the possibility of divorce and was devastated when her marriage ended, she was relieved when family and friends told her there was no need to worry about her kids. “They’re resilient. They’ll bounce back,” she was told

However Suzy knew her sons were hurting just as much as she was. She looked for the type of support that she was receiving, as an adult and found there was nowhere for her sons to go to be with other children their age going through the same experiences and  talk about their feelings.

Suzy started running retreats for families in similar situations and she felt compelled to do more, she gave up the security of her paid work to develop a curriculum to support children and young people who were grieving a life changing loss.

She founded Rainbows, the world’s largest not for profit organisation offering training for the establishment of peer support groups for schools. The programmes are designed to support children, young people and adult’s grief, painful loss or transition in their families.

Suzy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer shortly before Christmas 2012 and died on January 13^th 2013.

In 1992 Suzy, brought her vision of Rainbows to Great Britain. Rainbows Bereavement Support GB was created as part of her dream: …………….Rainbows would be there for any child or young person needing to ‘grieve and grow after loss’.  

We will be reflecting on this in our next blog

 

Following her death Frank McDermott, Chair of Trustees of Rainbows Bereavement Support GB (1992- 2020) led this tribute saying

 

”Suzy was wise, loving and strong. She knew that honest, realistic and practical support mattered to those grieving. This Rainbows approach was articulated in her inspirational book which has sold throughout the world ‘Healing the Hurt Restoring the Hope’.

 

“Thanks to the original dream of Suzy and twenty one years on, Rainbows Bereavement Support Great Britain, now operates in over 700 schools in England, Scotland and Wales in Catholic schools, Community schools, Church of England schools, Academies and a number of Free Schools. Thousands of staff in schools have been trained in bereavement and loss. It is currently available to over 72,000 children and young people and is growing steadily across Great Britain.”

 

“Rainbows Bereavement Support GB is now a well-respected national charity having a proven, positive impact on the lives of children, young people and adults. Our vision is quite simply that every child and young person in every school in Great Britain grieving a significant and often devastating loss in their lives will be understood and supported appropriately.”

 

Frank spoke warmly of Suzy on behalf of all the trustees, members of the National Management and the Rainbows Family in GB:

 

“All of us who knew Suzy were touched by her love of life, her love of her family, her tremendous energy and her vision and passion for Rainbows. Her greatest gift was to inspire all those whose lives she touched to ‘walk with those who grieve’.”

 

“We thank her for who she was, for touching our lives and for her vision and her energy. She leaves behind a great legacy of compassion and support for all those who grieve.”

 

 

“Our prayers and thoughts are with her family and all those who have become part of ‘her Rainbows family’ here in Great Britain and throughout the world.”

Frank and Sue McDermott with Suzy and Bishop John Rawsthorne