15 November 2019

A short film created by students for national bereavement charity, Child Bereavement UK, was recently announced as one of the winners in the Creative Vision Awards. Now the charity is launching the film in Children’s Grief Awareness Week (15-21 November) to encourage bereaved students to seek support.

The film was created as part of the Moore Kingston Smith Creative Vision Awards, a collaboration with Bournemouth University’s BFX Competition, in which UK students and recent graduates of animation and visual effects are tasked with creating animated films for charities to promote their cause. The short films are made at no cost to the charities.

Child Bereavement UK, which provides bereavement support to children, young people and families when a child grieves and when a child dies, was one of four charities awarded the opportunity to take part in the initiative.

Child Bereavement UK’s Director of Communications, Jane Keightley, said: “Bereaved students can sometimes fall into a gap between childhood and adulthood, and dealing with bereavement on top of studying, establishing friendships and, in many cases, being away from home, can feel overwhelming. Often with limited support systems in place, students tell us they can feel completely isolated in their grief.”

The brief for the film was to act as a springboard to help Child Bereavement UK reach bereaved students, encouraging them to seek support. In particular the charity identified an opportunity to promote its online LiveChat service to young people, which allows users to access support via their PC, phone or tablet.

Jane Keightley said: “Most young people won’t need specialist interventions if they are able to access support in a way that suits them. We know that digital media are the preferred way for young people to find the support and information they need. An animation, made by students, for students, which can be shared on social media, felt like a relevant way to reach and connect with students and to let them know that support is there should they need it.”

Child Bereavement UK’s film was made by a team from Dundee University. The film depicts a teenage boy, bereaved of his younger brother, who feels angry and alone in his grief and finds it difficult to talk to his parents. However, with the support of Child Bereavement UK, he realises his feelings are normal and he is able to gradually begin to find hope again.

Jane Keightley added: “Bereavement is a difficult subject and we were hugely impressed with how the team took time to understand the issues that bereaved young people face. The animation is beautifully produced and doesn’t shy away from the raw emotions of grief, but offers hope by signposting people to our online Live Chat support, which we know can be helpful to young people who may not always want to pick up the phone or come in for face-to-face support.”

The charity is launching the film during Children’s Grief Awareness Week, in which organisation across the UK show solidarity with grieving children and young people, raising awareness of their needs and how people can help. The film is being rolled out by Child Bereavement UK through their social media channels and via the charity’s educational development team.

Click here to watch the thirty-second animated film. 

ENDS

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Notes for Editors

Child Bereavement UK www.childbereavementuk.org

Child Bereavement UK supports families and educates professionals both when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, and when a child is facing bereavement. The charity has trained more than 100,000 professionals since it launched in 1994, helping them to better understand and meet the needs of grieving families.
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