LOSING a loved one tragically is one of the most traumatising and hard-to-process experiences any one can go through. Where this involves an incident like a road traffic collision or other sudden and unexpected event, the victim’s effects – such as clothing and other items they had with them when passing – may have previously been given back to family members in something as simple as a bag or other container. This arrangement, however well meaning, could never reflect the meaning and importance of the victim to the families and the loved ones receiving the items.
Now, in a new partnership between officers from North Wales Police and Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin, a number of Compassionate Boxes have been sourced from an organisation based in Devon that are specially designed to hold a victim’s effects when they are given to families. These boxes offer a more personal and appropriate way of passing over the effects of a deceased loved one to their next of kin. They are given free of charge to organisations that request them, though donations are welcome, and the team behind the initiative fundraise all year to pay for the boxes.
On September 8, PCC Dunbobbin met DC Donna Vernon and Sergeant Katie Davies from the Roads Crime Unit of North Wales Police at Divisional HQ in Llay to learn more about the initiative and the caring thinking behind the boxes.
The idea for Compassionate Boxes came about following the death of Chris Wale in 2023 in Devon. He passed away instantly from a sudden cardiac arrest while driving. When his daughter, Nichola, went to collect his belongings, they were handed to her in a plastic shopping bag and she wanted to change this. Together with Theresa Murphy, a trained bereavement counsellor, and the support of the wider community, this project began as an act of compassion—and has grown into a source of support for families across the UK. The organisation knows that the emergency services often don’t have the resources required to be able to deliver the level of caring service they strive to provide and Compassionate Boxes bridge the gap in an appropriate and sympathetic way.
As well as the deceased loved one’s effects the boxes also contain simple but thoughtful items to provide comfort during life’s hardest moments. These include a poem, a pair of knitted hearts, a lavender bag, shoe bag, a memory box label, and children’s boxes also include two knitted teddies and a coloured ribbon
Andy Dunbobbin, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales commented: “I am pleased that Compassionate Boxes are being introduced in North Wales. I hope they will show care and concern for grieving families at a devastating time.
“I well understand the feeling of being overwhelmed and upset when a family member loses their life, in whatever circumstance they might pass. It is vital families and next of kin know that the policing family cares about them and their welfare.
“Treating their loved one’s effects with dignity and compassion is an important part of this process. I would like to thank the organisers of Compassionate Boxes for creating this initiative and the officers of North Wales Police for bringing the idea to our region.
“I hope it will bring a great deal of comfort to members of our community when they need it most.”
Theresa Murphy from Compassionate Boxes, said: “In the quietest moments of grief, Compassionate Boxes arrive not just with care, but with the message that no one should face loss alone.”
DC Donna Vernon from North Wales Police added: “It is vital that Police Force take the time to think about how personal belongings are returned to loved ones, sensitively and with dignity.
“I am sure the Compassionate Boxes will make a huge difference to families in North Wales.”
Compassionate Boxes are available to individuals who have lost a loved one, as well as police, prisons, and hospitals who need to return personal belongings with care, and chaplains, social workers, and bereavement teams who support grieving families. Boxes are available for adults and children, and all are non-denominational.
For more inofrmation, visit the Compassionate Boxes website.
