Hope Support Services joined three other organisations for a lively discussion about the need to talk about illness and death in front of a capacity audience at the Hay Festival.

St Barnabas House Hospice, Worthing; Royal Grammar School, Worcester and St Richards Hospice came together with hope Support Services to address “the elephant in the room”. Their mission is to challenge our reluctance as a society to talk about illness, bereavement and grief – knowing that this reluctance can cause more harm than good to the children involved.

Clare Thomas, CEO of Hope Support Services, said: “We have just completed a major research study with the Open University which tells us that around a million children in the UK have a parent or carer who has a long term serious illness such as cancer. Many of these children are experiencing distress, anxiety, become depressed and isolated, they fall behind at school.

“These children need help to build resilience during this traumatic time. But this is made doubly difficult if they feel unable to talk about their feelings”.

The session will not only challenge adults to talk but St Barnabas House and St Richards Hospices will demonstrate how talking to children can make a huge difference.

Marcelle Palmer, Outreach and Schools project lead at St Barnabas House, said: “Inviting groups of children into the hospice provides an opportunity for them to explore and learn about palliative care and the work that hospices do.

“We provide a safe place for them to have their questions around illness, death, dying and loss answered, promoting the development of resilience prior to need.”