# Book published to help bereaved children of key workers

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/03/23/book-published-to-help-bereaved-children-of-key-workers/
- Published: 2021-03-23T06:44:41+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**A free book is to be given to support the children of key workers who have lost
a loved one during the Covid-19 pandemic. Published today to mark the national day
of reflection, ‘Hospital by the Hill’ is written to help give them comfort at a 
very difficult time.**

Written by actor and author Chris Connaughton and illustrated by Fay Troote, the
book tells the story of a child coming to terms with the loss of their mother, who
had been a nurse at a hospital. The book is being provided for free to any children
who have been affected.

## Foreword by Prince Harry

The book’s foreword has been written by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, who reflects
on his own experience of bereavement.

## Advertisement

In his foreword, The Duke says: “If you are reading this book, it’s because you’ve
lost your parent or a loved one, and while I wish I was able to hug you right now,
I hope this story is able to provide you comfort in knowing that you’re not alone.

“When I was a young boy I lost my mum. At the time I didn’t want to believe it or
accept it, and it left a huge hole inside of me. I know how you feel and I want 
to assure you that over time that hole will be filled with so much love and support.”

![Hospital by the Hill - cover illustration by Faye Troote](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.
cloud/2021/03/hospital-by-the-hill-chris-connaughton-cover-1.jpg)

_Hospital by the Hill – cover illustration by Faye Troote_

## Child bereavement charities

[Hospital by the Hill](http://hospitalbythehill.com) has been spearheaded by the
founders of [Simon Says](http://simonsays.org.uk), the child bereavement support
charity.

The book promotes the services offered by three charities who help children cope
with loss, Simon Says, [Child Bereavement UK](http://www.childbereavementuk.org)
and [Winston’s Wish](http://winstonswish.org).

> So lockdown has keep me busy with this little project. Delighted to be able announce
> this at last🙏👍💕[#bereavement](https://twitter.com/hashtag/bereavement?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [#nationaldayofreflection](https://twitter.com/hashtag/nationaldayofreflection?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [@SimonSaysCBS](https://twitter.com/SimonSaysCBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [@cbukhelp](https://twitter.com/cbukhelp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [@winstonswish](https://twitter.com/winstonswish?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [@KevinJMunro](https://twitter.com/KevinJMunro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [@Health_2gether](https://twitter.com/Health_2gether?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [@intextchris](https://twitter.com/intextchris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [@FTroote](https://twitter.com/FTroote?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [@hussey_victoria](https://twitter.com/hussey_victoria?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [https://t.co/ptBbhWA03l](https://t.co/ptBbhWA03l)
> — Sally Stanley (@SallyStanley3) [March 19, 2021](https://twitter.com/SallyStanley3/status/1373012117108973575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Author [Chris Connaughton](http://intextperformance.com) says: “I felt very privileged
to be asked to write this book. The project seemed to me to address several important
emotional issues for young people dealing with the impact of losing a loved one 
to Covid, and I hope my story, along with [Fay Troote](http://faytrooteillustration.com)’
s beautiful illustrations, offers them some comfort.

“I wanted it to provide a connection, support and hope through the hard and horrible
times of bereavement. I am extremely grateful to the Duke of Sussex for his support
during this project and for giving his time so generously. Having his open, heartfelt
and honest words as a foreword to the book is a tremendous honour.”

Connaughton has worked in theatre, TV and radio. He has written and produced more
than 30 different plays and storytelling performances for young audiences, and makes
over 100
school visits every year throughout the UK. Last year he ran an online 
course with UK Fundraising introducing fundraisers to storytelling with empathy.

Connaughton told UK Fundraising:

> “Writing about death is hard. 
> Talking about it can be even harder. 
> It’s always hard and horrible to deal with the death of someone you love, to lose
> someone who loved you.
> I was already grown up when my dad died. And my dad was already quite old. But
> it was still very hard to talk about. 
> I tried to imagine what it must be like if you aren’t grown up yet, and your parent
> is still quite young. It was horrible to even imagine what that might feel like.
> I tried to make this story honest. I hope that I’ve managed to capture some of
> the feelings truthfully. 
> But everyone’s story and feelings are a bit different.
> I talk about a mum in these pages, but when you read the story you might be thinking
> of a mum or  a dad. Your parent might have still been quite young, or a bit older.
> It could even have been a grandparent. Whoever it is they will always be special.
> They will always be loved.
> In Fay’s pictures, the person looks like a nurse, but your loved one could be 
> an office worker, a cleaner or a journalist. They might be a waiter, a teacher,
> or anyone else who is special to you. They will always be loved.
> Whoever you are thinking about, I hope this story helps makes some of the hard
> and horrible stuff a bit easier.”

The book can be bought or those who qualify can apply for a free copy of the book
via [Hospital by the Hill](http://hospitalbythehill.com).

## More

> [Writing about death is hard. Talking about it is even harder](https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/04/27/writing-about-death-is-hard-talking-about-it-is-even-harder/)