05 June 2013

In a unique and moving programme on S4C this week young people will speak out about their experience of losing a parent.

The special episode from the series for children and young people, #Fi, will feature four young people sharing their stories – the shock, the emotion and the loss.

Lois Cernyw from Llangernyw who's a presenter on S4C's service for young people, Stwnsh, Harriet, 14 who lives near Llantrisant and brother and sister Evan, 17 and Nia, 13 from Glamorgan speak about the experience of losing a parent on #Fi.

The programme produced by Boom Pictures will be broadcast on S4C on Thursday 6 June at 6.05pm.

Every year up to 25,000 young people in Britain lose a parent. Lois Cernyw lost her mother to cancer three years ago, and Lois feels that it's important not to stay silent.

"When you lose someone you're very close to it's incredibly difficult to know who to deal with it. Even speaking about death can be difficult, but talking about it can help."

Harriet lost her mother when she was only nine years old.

"Sometimes it can be hard to wake up and realise that mam's not there. Sometime it's like a part of me is missing."

"On the day that mum died I didn't want to speak to anyone. I was crying for hours, and I felt like a part of me had disappeared. But after that I started speaking to people and saw my family and things got better from then on."

"It's important that everyone talks about it because there's no point keeping things in, nothing gets better if you do that."

Nia and Evan lost their father, Matthew unexpectedly five year ago. He was an adventurous man and his death was a shock to the family.

"Sometimes I just ask why did this happen to him. He was such an incredibly nice and happy person, but other times I just think how lucky I was got have such an amazing father."

"He took us to school like any other day, but he had epilepsy, and he went home and has a bath and he had a fit," says Nia.

"I just sat at the kitchen table and I was in shock. I don't think it had hit me at all," says Nia's older brother Evan.

"I don't like to show my emotions. I cry on my own because I don't want other people to see me being emotional."

Cruse Bereavement Care is the leading national charity for bereaved people in Wales, England and Northern Ireland.

Janette Bourne, Director of Cruse Cymru said:

"This episode of #Fi tells the well documented and sensitively recorded personal stories of three young teenagers and their journey through bereavement. It illustrates their initial difficulty in coming to terms with their loss and ultimately finding their individual way of coping with the varied feelings and emotions they've experienced. Programmes like this one are important in that they highlight the issue and show children and young people that it's okay to talk about their own personal experience of grief."

#Fi is a documentary series which portrays a cross-section of the lives and experiences of children and young people in Wales today. The programme was co-produced by Rachel Evans and Eleri Tinnuche from Boom Pictures and the programme's directing producer is Griff Rowland. Rachel has worked on the children's news programme Newsround, and director Griff Rowland has spent time as director on the soap opera, Coronation Street.

Sioned Wyn Roberts, S4C Children's programmes commissioner said:

"Listening to these young people speaking in an honest and mature way about their loss really touches your heart and bring a tear to the eye, but it's important that there is a platform for them to do so, and to share their experiences with other children. As well as providing programmes which are fun and entertaining it's important to us that the children's and young people's programmes on S4C sometimes deal with difficult issues to help children as they grow up. We're very proud of this programme and we would like to congratulate Rachel Evans and Griff Rowland at Boom Pictures and send out thanks to the young people who have contributed for making it possible."

#Fi will be broadcast on S4C on Thursday 6 June at 6.05pm and will be available to watch on demand at s4c.co.uk/clic for 35 days following the first broadcast. The programme includes English subtitles.