Child Bereavement UK launches animation for bereaved teens

Child Bereavement UK has launched a new animated short film, highlighting the isolation bereaved young people can feel when others avoid talking about death. 

The film, which is called ‘Room for an Elephant’, explores how social discomfort and taboos around grief may prevent people from offering meaningful support. 

According to the charity, such reluctance to acknowledge the “elephant in the room” can leave young people feeling “lonely and isolated”.

Narrated by a young person and set to a specially written poem, the animation is styled after teen graphic novels. It is the latest addition to Child Bereavement UK’s range of resources aimed at helping children and young people navigate loss.

Maninder Hayre, director of services and partnerships at Child Bereavement UK, said: “Children and young people we support tell us that grief can be very isolating, particularly when others feel awkward asking them how they’re feeling or mentioning their special person who has died.

“We hope this film will help raise awareness of how lonely grief can be and encourage others to connect with bereaved friends with greater compassion and understanding.”

The charity supports families facing the death of a baby or child, as well as children and young people up to age 25 when someone close to them is dying or has died.