The charity said that most greetings cards available in high street shops contain more adult language such as “sorry for your loss” and “with sympathy” but that these phrases may not always make sense to a young person.

It was important, therefore, to have an open discussion with those affected by this gap in the market.

The Greeting Card Association (GCA) is the trade body for the greeting card industry. Its CEO, Amanda Fergusson, commented: “The UK card industry cares deeply that our cards resonate with all communities […] at all the key times in life.”

One of the young people who attended the workshop, named Abigail, stated: “Everyone there was so patient, understanding [and] listened with no judgement.”

Another attendee, Ashleigh, called it an “incredible experience” and found herself inspired by the opportunity to meet and collaborate with those present.

The GCA and Winston’s Wish have now teamed up to create new guidelines to be rolled out across the greetings card industry.

The two organisations hoped this change would encourage those within the industry to remember that grief impacts people of all ages, not just adults.

Around 41,000 British children are expected to lose a parent every year. Winston’s Wish has dedicated the last 30 years to supporting young people up to the age of 25 who are enduring times of bereavement. From 2022-23, it was able to help nearly 62,500 young people deal with the loss of a loved one.

Winston’s Wish offers on-demand support to bereaved young people and their families. Its support workers are free to call on 08088 020 021. It also has a live chat at winstonswish.org and welcomes emails at ask@winstonswish.org.