Cruse down to Wish; Last few days to register.

Byline: SANDY McKENZIE SANDY McKENZIE

WITH only three days left until the deadline for groups hoping to register with the Gazette Wish campaign, it's no wonder the Middlesbrough branch of a national charity was fast off the mark to sign up.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Cruse Bereavement Care, is hoping for golden rewards from the Evening Gazette's Wish campaign.

The Middlesbrough branch deals with clients from across Teesside and is entering the Wish campaign for a second year.

Last year it received pounds 97 which was spent on training and books.

The pounds 30,000 Wish cash pot will be divided by the number of tokens collected - and the bigger your share of tokens, the bigger your slice of cash.

Cruse Bereavement Care aims to promote the well-being of bereaved people and to enable anyone bereaved by death to understand their grief and cope with their loss. Services offered by the charity are free to bereaved people - so any help given through Wish will be of great assistance.

Cruse also provides support and offers information, advice and training services.

The branch has been operating in Middlesbrough for more than 20 years.

Three years ago the Middlesbrough based team opened their own office in Harris Street near the Middlesbrough bus station.

It now has 20 trained, volunteer counsellors and usually has around 30 clients.

Judy Dent, who has been branch chairman for five years: "We would like to use money raised from the Wish campaign to extend our library, for training and for running costs.

"We have a waiting list of about a month to take on new clients and that is an indication of the level of need there is for the services the charity provides."

She said clients came from across Teesside. They covered all ages, including children, and the charity was seeing more male clients than they did in the past.

Some clients were referred to the charity by GPs and other agencies.

Anyone wanting to help the Middlesbrough Branch of Cruse Bereavement care can send token to the charity at its office at PJS House, 9-11 Harris Street, Middlesbrough, TS1 5EF. * To register for Wish complete the registration form on this page and return it by Tuesday, September 22 or go to gazettelive.

co.uk.