Shaping the narrative of children's palliative care together

Join Heard on Wednesday 30th September for a one-day gathering to celebrate and advance narrative change in children's palliative care, featuring the BAFTA-winning writer of BBC series ‘This Is Going To Hurt’, Adam Kay, as our keynote speaker.

Every child deserves a life full of moments worth celebrating with the people they love. Children living with serious illnesses are children first, and palliative care makes those moments of love, togetherness, and fun possible for them and their families.

But the stories of joy, connection and support rarely make the headlines. And when they go untold, everyone misses out. Families don't ask for help. Clinicians can't work together as they should. Policymakers don't invest in the care that truly makes a difference.

The good news: this is one problem we all have the power to change together. And it's already happening.

What to expect

Inspire - hear from narrative change experts, clinicians, campaigners, creatives and parents on what they've learnt from telling the story differently.

Keynote from Adam Kay - former NHS junior doctor, BAFTA-winning TV writer and author of international bestseller ‘This is Going to Hurt’

Screening of interviews with parents and young people from Heard’s Spokesperson Network, exploring the importance of lived experience in shifting public narrative.

Caz Warnes (Julia's House Hospice), Paul Woodward (Old Swan Films) and Dr. Christine Mott (Association for Paediatric Palliative Medicine) share their experience of learning about and utilising framing in their work.

Independent healthcare consultant, Tracy Rennie, interviews Simon Pitts (Lifelites) and Caroline Waterson (former Daily Mirror Editor-in-chief) on how journalists and communicators can work together to create impactful fundraising campaigns that avoid trauma mining.

2. Apply- take everything you've learned and put it into practice, together.

A collaborative challenge: work with others across the sector to develop new narrative approaches in response to a brief

Pitch your ideas to our panel of expert judges

Cement your learnings and leave with a network of people to keep the momentum going

Lunch and refreshments included.

This is the perfect event for you if you:

Work in or around children's palliative care and feel the public only ever sees part of the picture

Are a storyteller, communicator, fundraiser, or campaigner who wants to tell these stories with more confidence and impact

Are part of a family with lived experience who believes your story can help change things for others

Are a journalist, filmmaker or creative who wants to portray children's palliative care with more depth and authenticity

Are a policymaker or funder who knows that narrative change is whole system change

Places are limited and we're committed to bringing together a diverse mix of voices from across the UK. Travel bursaries may be available for those not based in London - please email aimee@heard.org.uk for more information.

The Story Changers Summit is brought to you by Heard, a charity working with people and the media to change how the public think, feel, and act on social issues that are usually misunderstood. With thanks to our funder, True Colours Trust and to Together for Short Lives for endorsing this event.

Description supplied by the event organiser.