Ten-Year-Old Girl Chosen for BBC Children in Need Choir

Gracie, a 10-year-old from Loughton, Essex, is set to perform live as a member of the BBC Children in Need choir for the current year’s appeal program. She has received assistance from Echo Connect, a child bereavement organization, since her father, Simon, passed away from cancer when she was seven years old. This group, which receives funding from the BBC charity, conducts its sessions at St Clare Hospice in Harlow, offering both individual and collective counselling to individuals grieving the loss of a loved one. Gracie stated, “I know Daddy will be watching me. I’ll be singing my loudest.” Gracie’s father received a diagnosis of a rare cancer affecting his thymus gland when she was four years old. Initially, he was given an prognosis of eight months to live, but he ultimately lived for three more years. The 10-year-old shared, “I didn’t know anyone else who was in the same position as me before I went to the daddy talky group [Echo Connect]. “I didn’t have anyone to talk to. My mummy, sisters, nanny and grandad were always so sad, but I felt I couldn’t talk in front of them about me being sad too. “Echo Connect has helped me, and my mummy says it’s helped her too.” Ellie, Gracie’s mother, concurred, stating, “I think it’s just the fact that she’s with people who’ve lost someone as well. She doesn’t feel alone.” The Echo Connect initiative provides support to children, young people, and their families who have experienced bereavement within west Essex and east Hertfordshire. Amanda Orange, a child and family support worker for the project, explained that the service offers various activities, such as games and crafts, and facilitates discussions concerning death and bereavement. She commented, “The children love being here and the BBC Children in Need funding is invaluable.” Orange further elaborated, “The work we do is subtle – we’re trying to normalise what’s going on for the children in the language we use. “It’s actually OK to use the word ‘death’ even though there’s still a taboo. People skirt around it, but it’s OK to put it on the table and talk about it. “It’s much healthier for the children, because there’s so much fear if it isn’t spoken about.” Across the East of England, BBC Children in Need provides funding for 107 projects, totaling £6.6 million. These funds assist over 22,000 children and young people navigating difficult circumstances. Gracie is among 19 children selected to sing in the Children in Need choir this year, where she will perform “Never Forget” by Take That. The live performance can be viewed on BBC One and BBC iPlayer starting at 19:00 GMT on Friday, 15 November. For updates on Essex news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.