Media Centre

Winston’s Wish can provide information, comment and interviews to journalists and press about childhood bereavement.

Four young boys in Winston's Wish t-shirts playing with puppets
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Press and media enquiries on child bereavement

Looking to cover childhood bereavement? Winston’s Wish is able to provide expert information and commentary and can offer interviews with key spokespeople and those with lived experience of bereavement. We have worked with national and local print and digital press, radio and TV production companies.

For any media enquiries, contact our Press Office on 07894 204 199 or communications@winstonswish.org. Our email is monitored 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, outside of these hours please call the number above.

About Winston’s Wish

Winston’s Wish is the UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity. Founded in 1992, we are a national charity providing bereavement support to children, young people (up to 25) and their families following the death of someone significant to them. Through information and advice, on-demand services, bereavement support and counselling by referral, we support young people across the UK to understand their feelings, process their grief and find ways to move forward with hope for a brighter future. We also help the adults who are caring for young grieving people including parents, school staff and healthcare professionals. Last year we reached and impacted the lives of more than 82,000 grieving children and young people.

Childhood bereavement statistics

No one knows exactly how many children are bereaved every year simply because that data is not collected, despite the fact that the death of parent is one of the most devastating losses a child will ever face. In the absence of official data, the following statistics are based on mortality figures, census data and other sources. There is more information available from the Childhood Bereavement Network.

  • An estimated 127 children and young people under 18 are bereaved of a parent every day
  • 46,300 children in the UK lose a parent before the age of 18
  • On average, a parent dies every 20 minutes in the UK
  • 1 in 29 children and young people have experienced the death of a parent or sibling
Children and Winston's Wish practitioners sat on the floor in a group
Winston's Wish practitioner with young girl creating a memory jar

Our spokespeople

Our childhood bereavement experts can provide comment on a range of subjects via traditional, radio, podcast or television interview including:

  • Childhood bereavement and how children grieve
  • Advice for parents, carers and professionals on how to support a bereaved child or young adult
  • Tragic events and terrorist attacks
  • Government bereavement policy
  • Bereavement in schools or local community
  • Funeral advice

 

To enquire about spokespeople, contact our Press Office on 01242 515 157 (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday) or communications@winstonswish.org. For out of hours contact, call 07894 204 199.

Case studies

We can provide case studies of bereaved children, young people and their families we have supported for interview. As many of their stories are of a sensitive nature, we will only put forward a case study if we think it is suitable. We have a duty of care to ensure that every single child, young person and family member will not be traumatised by doing media work.

Winston’s Wish produces a podcast series entitled Grief in Common which features young people with lived experience of bereavement and gives them a platform to discuss what it’s like to grow up with grief.

To enquire about case studies, contact our Press Office on 07894 204 199 or communications@winstonswish.org. Our email is monitored 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, outside of these hours, please call on the number above.

Media coverage for Winston’s Wish

It has been a huge privilege collaborating with the dedicated team at Winston’s Wish on making A Killing In My Family. The charity’s child-focused approach informed every decision in the making of this sensitive programme and we couldn’t have made it without their close guidance and support. The programme is a testament to the strength of the team’s relationships with families and, I believe, with us as documentary makers.

Kirsty Cunningham, Director – Dragonfly TV

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