Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

Newsround, television's only daily current affairs programme specifically made for young people, is to screen a special documentary for CÂ鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú exploring the issue of bereavement and how it affects children's lives.

Gone, a powerful and moving documentary presented by BAFTA award-winning presenter, Barney Harwood, tells the story of four children – all of whom have lost someone they love.

Previous Newsround specials which have covered difficult subjects in a sensitive and accessible way include recent reports on knife crime and divorce.

Newsround meets eight-year-old Bradley from Welling, Kent, who lost his Dad in May 2006. His father was a truck driver who wasn't home during the week. One weekend he never came home and the following week he was found dead in his cab, having suffered a heart malfunction.

Then there's Sarika who is 11 years old. She lost her Mum to cancer in 2005 when she was six. Sarika knew that her mum was very sick but had no idea that the illness was terminal.

Another child featured in the programme is 11-year-old Katie from Preston in Lancashire. In September 2008, her nine-year-old brother James cycled out between two parked cars outside the family home, and was knocked down and killed.

Finally, there is Joe, who is 11, from Essex. His Granddad died last March.

All four of the children in Gone contacted Newsround through the programme's website after the show asked children if they felt able to share their stories of bereavement. Hundreds of other young people also got in touch to share their stories with the programme.

Anne Gilchrist, Controller of CÂ鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú, said: "Sadly, bereavement is something that touches many, many children and yet is spoken about infrequently. This Newsround special looks at bereavement from the perspective of children who have experienced it directly. The children talk about their experiences in their own words relating their own personal stories which provide powerful and poignant insights into this difficult topic."

Sinead Rocks, Editor, Newsround, said: "The response and strength of feeling from our audience when we asked for their help in making this programme really surprised us. They wanted to talk about their experiences in the hope that their insights could help other children facing similarly difficult situations. Newsround has a long history of tackling sensitive and challenging issues in an engaging, informative and helpful way and we feel Gone fits perfectly with this ethos."

Gone will transmit on the CÂ鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú channel on Monday 30 March 2009n at 6.30pm and is repeated the following day on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú One on Tuesday 31 March (time to be confirmed).

Notes to Editors

Newsround has been dedicated to bringing children the news for over 36 years, making the important issues of the day relevant and easily understandable for kids.

Television's only daily current affairs programme specifically made for young people has recently been given a re-launch with a brand new look and two new presenters for a new generation of children.

Newsround continues to make one-off specials, which cover difficult subjects, such as recent reports on knife crime and divorce, in a sensitive and accessible way.

Presented by Ore Oduba and Sonali Shah live from Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Television Centre in London, Newsround now has its very own news bureau in Manchester, bringing all the latest news from the nations and regions to uniquely deliver world class journalism exclusively for children and young people across the UK.

As well as delivering up-to-the-minute news, Newsround's website also encourages children to share their own views and engage in debates by joining chats on the message boards, voting on the issues that matter to them, pitting their wits in a choice of quizzes, and watching the amazing press pack reports made by other Newsround viewers.

PH