There were smiles all round at Norfolk charity Nelson's Journey this week after it was revealed work would start on its new £600,000 headquarters on Monday.

Eastern Daily Press: The guests at the Nelson's Journey annual meeting all received a potted bulb to plant in memory of a special person. The Youth Panel with their pots, from left, front row, Maisie Green, 15, Megan Greaves, 14, and Sammy Woods, 16. Back row, Aidan Blythe, 14, Jeremiah Humphreys, 13, and Kathryn Evans, 17.The guests at the Nelson's Journey annual meeting all received a potted bulb to plant in memory of a special person. The Youth Panel with their pots, from left, front row, Maisie Green, 15, Megan Greaves, 14, and Sammy Woods, 16. Back row, Aidan Blythe, 14, Jeremiah Humphreys, 13, and Kathryn Evans, 17. (Image: Archant)

The child bereavement organisation started fundraising for its new home, Smiles House, in 2012 – to create a purpose-built welcoming environment where children and young people could receive support.

Based at the Octagon Business Park in Little Plumstead, the building will also have space for support groups and families and provide accommodation for training professionals who work with children and might need bereavement guidance.

'We exchanged contracts on Monday, so there is no going back,' said Colin Lang, chief executive of Nelson's Journey.

'This stage of the project means so much to the charity and all the staff. Nelson's Journey has needed this facility for a long time now. We have been told we will get the keys for the building on September 12 and plan to move the team in on September 16.'

The ground floor will be dedicated to services supporting young people and their families and will include two one-to-one therapy rooms, a resource library and a 'chill-out' area.

The first floor will accommodate the administration, fundraising and marketing teams and the chief executive.

But after announcing the news at its annual meeting at The Forum on Tuesday, the charity still needs help to get Smiles House up and running.

'We are inviting individuals and companies to sponsor rooms within the house,' said Mr Lang.

'They range from £1,000 upwards – but we still have a lot of small items people can support us with, from crockery and kettles to beanbags and an Xbox One for the young people.'

The cost of these items ranges from £10 to £12,000 and the charity hope people in Norfolk will continue to show their support.

'We are proud of where we are located and are very grateful to all those who have supported us since 1997,' said Mr Lang. 'This next stage is an exciting one and I would encourage anyone who wishes to contribute to the contents of the building to contact us for a sponsorship pack.'

Last year, Nelson's Journey saw a 25pc increase in the demand for its services, following a 67pc rise in 2012.

It believes this is largely due to local government funding cuts and the scaling-down of support services. In 2013 it received 506 referrals, with more than 200 so far this year.

It has been operating for 16 years and provides a service for local children up to the age of 17 who have experienced the death of a significant person in their life.

It aims to improve the emotional wellbeing of bereaved children by increasing their confidence and self belief, providing education about the causes of death and letting families talk openly about bereavement. It also gives chances to remember those who have died and help children to express and understand their emotions.

One in 29 school-aged children is estimated to have experienced the death of a parent or sibling; in Norfolk this equates to 3,825. This figure is significantly higher when including pre-school children and 17-year-olds.

• To support the project, email enquiries@nelsonsjourney.org.uk or call 01603 431788.