Baby Loss Awareness Week runs from Thursday, 9th October to Wednesday, 15th October, which is an annual campaign to support bereaved families and raise awareness of baby loss. 

At CHFT we continue to fundraise for our Maternity Bereavement Appeal, which needs to raise £500,000 for a new bereavement suite and counselling room at CRH. The aim of the appeal is to make sure everyone affected by miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death, who is cared for by CHFT, receives the support they need, in an environment that’s right for them.

So far, the appeal has raised £120,000, but there is a way to go to reach our target. Throughout Baby Loss Awareness Week, CHFT Charity, colleagues and volunteers, are pulling together to give the fundraiser a boost. 

How colleagues and the public can get involved

• Help sell raffle tickets for the appeal or buy a raffle ticket. More information is available here but you can also pop along to one of the CHFT Charity stands in the main entrance of CRH and HRI throughout Baby Loss Awareness Week. 
• Come along to one of the bake sales and tombolas which will be held on Thursday, 9th, Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th October in the main entrances of CRH and HRI.
• Support the Fire Walk at HRI this Sunday, 12th October at 17:00 - Firewalk - CHFT Charity

Specialist Bereavement Midwife, Sarah Hall said: “Each year we care for 60-70 families who suffer the heartbreak of losing their much-wanted baby. This may happen during pregnancy, during or shortly after the birth, or when the pregnancy ends in a compassionate induction and every loss is an extremely upsetting and emotional time for families. The devastation of having to leave the hospital with empty arms is a sad reality faced by some of our families and while most families positively feedback on the care they received by the labour ward team, we know that their experience could be enhanced by providing a bespoke, specially designed, comfortable environment with natural light and space."