This policy details what happens when a child or young person submits a piece of content about their experiences of grief to Child Bereavement UK (the charity that powers Talk Grief), how we make decisions on publishing that content and the measures we follow to make sure bereaved young people are safe, protected and supported.
This policy exists so that we can ensure every piece of content that gets published on a Child Bereavement UK channel (for example on the Child Bereavement UK website, social media channels and printed leaflets) is true, respectful and reflects our company values.
This policy applies to bereavement content submitted by individuals with direct experience of grief up to the age of 25 and includes but is not limited to:
Personal stories/testimonials
Articles or blog posts
Artwork, photography, or video content
Poems, stories or creative writing
3.1. Who can submit content?
Anyone with direct experience of grief up to the age of 25 can submit content.
Individuals do not have to have previously spoken with or received support from Child Bereavement UK to submit.
3.2. What type of content can be submitted?
Anonymised creative expressions of personal grief experiences including but not limited to poems, drawings, digital artwork, short stories and songs.
3.3. What type of content will not be accepted?
Harassing, threatening, abusive, vulgar, obscene, defamatory, racist or otherwise unlawful posts.
Posts which mention drug use.
Posts that mention thoughts of or acts of self-harm.
Posts that mention thoughts of or acts of suicide.
Photographs or video footage of any individual, living or deceased, that can be easily identified or recognised. If the author wishes to submit images of individuals the marketing team will contact the author directly to discuss an alternative case study content exercise.
Content that discloses the name, personal details of or any identifiable attributes of any individual, living or deceased.
Any content that attempts to give direct advice or make claim of a way to ‘get over grief’.
3.4. How to submit content
Content should be submitted through our dedicated website for bereaved young people at talkgrief.org/submit
A Content Submission Form must be completed, which includes:
Author’s name (can opt for anonymity)
Author’s date of birth, telephone number, email address and postcode (this
information is for safeguarding purposes only and will not be published)
Parent/guardian information including name, phone number and email (this information is for safeguarding purposes only and will not be published) UNDER 18 only.
GP Practice (this information is for safeguarding purposes only and will not be
published)
Description of submitted content
Permission for Child Bereavement UK to publish and edit (if applicable) content
Signed consent form
3.5. Format and Sizing Requirements:
Child Bereavement UK is only able to accept content in digital formats. Formats include:
Written content: .docx or .pdf format, 500 words.
Images: .jpg or .jpeg or .png, high resolution, with a short caption. Images should not be of identifiable individuals.
Videos: .mp4 or .mov, under 3 minutes. Videos should not be of identifiable individuals.
Sizing for social media content:
1080x1080 for Instagram square or carousel posts
1080x1920 portrait for Instagram stories, reels or TikTok.
1920x1080 landscape for YouTube
Every piece of submitted content is reviewed by the Child Bereavement UK bereavement team for safeguarding purposes in the first instance (see 7. Safeguarding). If the team finds no safeguarding concerns, the content is passed to the Child Bereavement UK marketing team for publication.
Content will appear as submitted without edits on the Grief Uncut section of talkgrief.org.
One some occasions the Child Bereavement UK marketing team will select pieces of submitted content to appear on other marketing channels including but not limited to the Child Bereavement UK website, social media channels and other media outlets (e.g. on radio or tv). Some user-generated content may be selected for use based on a range of considerations, including (but not limited to):
Relevance: related to current campaigns, themes, or messaging.
Quality: audio or visual quality and comprehensibility.
Respect: ensuring content is appropriate and meets our community guidelines.
Diversity: aiming to reflect a broad range of experiences and voices.
We strive to make selection decisions fairly and transparently, while maintaining the integrity and mission of our platform. Creators will be contacted prior to publication should their content be selected to appear on other marketing channels.
Content that is chosen to appear on other marketing channels may be subject to the following editorial checks:
Light editing for grammar, spelling, clarity, and length.
Sensitive topics (e.g., trauma or violence) will be handled with care, and appropriate content warnings may be added.
Selecting alternative fonts or colours for the purposes of accessibility and to align with the Child Bereavement UK and Talk Grief brands.
A ‘real voice’ badge and logo will be added to all content.
Any large edits will be communicated and discussed with the creator for approval.
At Child Bereavement UK we believe that keeping everyone safe is very important. Should your content submission indicate that you or someone you know is at risk, or in danger of harming themselves or someone else, Child Bereavement UK will attempt to reach you to discuss this with you and suggest a course of action which in some cases involves contacting your parent/guardian, your GP or 999. Though we will try to speak to you about our concerns first, we reserve the right to act without your consent if we feel that the urgency of the situation requires us to act immediately to safeguard your physical safety or that of others.
Final approval rests with the Head of Creative & Content. Content may take up to four weeks to be approved before being scheduled for publication. Specific dates cannot be provided.
Content creators will be contacted to confirm the status of their submission.
Content creators retain ownership of their original work.
By submitting content, content creators grant Child Bereavement UK a non-exclusive, royalty-free license (no exchange of payment) to publish and promote the content in digital and print formats.
