2025 Shortlist | Let’s Talk About Loss

Let’s Talk About Loss

Shortlist – Board Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

About the Charity

Let’s Talk About Loss (LTAL) supports young adults aged 18–35 who are grieving. Founded by Beth French after the death of her mother, the charity is built on peer support and lived experience. Through local meet-ups, online communities, inclusive events, and grief resources, LTAL tackles the silence and stigma around loss, helping young people connect and heal in a way that feels safe, authentic, and empowering.

LTAL’s vision is simple but powerful: no young griever grieves alone. Its services are rooted in the voices of those it supports, and its governance reflects the diversity of grief itself. Every decision is shaped by young people who’ve experienced loss—and who understand the importance of community-led, accessible support.

Charity number: 1095931 | LetsTalkAboutLoss.org
England – South East | 0-3 paid staff

What the Board Achieved

Let’s Talk About Loss has created a board where diversity isn’t an afterthought—it’s the foundation. 86% of its trustees are themselves bereaved, bringing deep empathy and authenticity to the charity’s leadership. But LTAL hasn’t stopped at lived experience. Its board reflects a range of identities across race, ethnicity, gender, faith, disability, sexuality, and age—71% of trustees are women, and the average trustee age is 40, a notable contrast to national board demographics.

The charity backs this diversity with structure: three dedicated advisory boards (Accessibility, Racial Equity, and LGBTQ+), each chaired by a young griever from that community and directly connected to the main board. EDI isn’t tokenistic—it’s strategic. The board leads by example, embedding inclusion into trustee recruitment, meeting structures, funding decisions, and service delivery.

Thanks to this intentional governance model, LTAL has introduced new initiatives like men’s grief meet-ups, accessible peer group venues, anti-ableism training, and an ongoing video project to amplify voices from ethnic minority communities. Inclusion doesn’t just shape the culture—it drives the charity’s services forward.

What Inspired the Judges

Let’s Talk About Loss deeply impressed the judges with its practical, lived approach to equity and inclusion. For a small charity, LTAL punches well above its weight—creating space for marginalised young people to not just participate, but to lead.

Judges commended the advisory board model as an example of inclusive co-governance in action. Far from being symbolic, these boards are chaired by young people, integrated into decision-making, and supported by trustees who share responsibility for inclusion across the organisation.

LTAL’s board doesn’t shy away from hard conversations. It brings curiosity, humility, and structure to its EDI commitments—using inclusion consultants, adapting meetings to accommodate health and care needs, and removing barriers to trustee recruitment by prioritising lived experience over qualifications.

What stood out most? That none of this felt like a tick-box exercise. LTAL’s board has embedded diversity at every level of its culture and governance—ensuring that every young griever can find support that feels safe, seen, and truly representative.