Developers give £1,500 to support families after baby loss in Shropshire
A charity helping families in Shropshire cope after baby loss has received a £1,500 donation.
Housing developer Barratt Homes has made a donation of £1,500 to The Lily Mae Foundation, which offers a range of support services for families who experience baby loss at several hospitals, including the Princess Royal Hospital.
The charity aims to support bereaved parents, siblings and wider family members to help them through one of the most difficult times of their lives.
Barratt's donation was made as part of the Barratt Foundation, which is designed to support national and local charities, large and small, across the UK to leave a legacy in the communities in which the housebuilder operates.
The contribution will be dedicated to the charity’s Memory Box Programme. This is a keepsake box personally packed by volunteers which includes clay, ink and jewellery print kits for parents to keep hold of their baby’s handprints and footprints for a lifetime.
Ryan Jackson, managing director at The Lily Mae Foundation, said: “Although we can never ease the pain a parent feels when they lose their baby, our memory boxes create tangible memories they can share with others who will never be able to meet their baby.
"It helps with the grieving process, supporting mental health not just at the time their baby dies, but for many years after too, as the memory box can be opened at any time.
“After experiencing our own baby loss, we found limited baby loss support, which prompted us to establish The Lily Mae Foundation and retain a very much user-led approach with our beneficiaries helping to shape its projects and services.”
Also in the charity’s memory box, bereaved parents will find a small keepsake box for a lock of hair or hospital band, a scented candle, a notebook, a storybook parents can read to their baby and a jewellery voucher, so parents can have a piece of jewellery made from their baby’s prints.
A memory card for pictures taken in the hospital and two teddy bears are also included; one for the parents and one for their baby, which are then swapped before the parents say goodbye. Parents take home a teddy with their baby’s scent and leave the hospital with a box full of memories.
The Lily Mae Foundation currently supports around 2,600 grieving parents and family members per year through its Memory Box Programme, which is distributed to 14 hospitals, including the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.
Ryan added: “We offer other free support services that help with mental wellbeing too, such as counselling and support groups, that our beneficiaries can access when the time is right. These groups can also help reduce isolation as parents are connected to other individuals who have gone through the same trauma.”
Barratt Homes has built a range of developments in Telford and recently unveiled its new Scarlet View community, and decided to support the charity and its continued services for the nearby hospital in the town.
Adrian Evans, managing director of Barratt Homes West Midlands, said: “The Lily Mae Foundation is a pivotal part of a wide range of communities, and the support it provides in tackling bereavement and baby loss is extremely important.
“We are very proud to support the charity’s immense work and encourage others to offer their support in any way they can.”
