South Norfolk group supporting families with baby loss needs a place to call home

A group formed in South Norfolk to support families who have experienced baby loss has been helping parents far and wide – and is now appealing for office and storage space they can call home.

Babies At Peace was formed in January 2016 and offers practical support to the bereaved after a miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death and the death of a baby up to 2 years old.

We’ve been running Babies at Peace from our homes and our houses are fit to burst. We are now in desperate need to have a base, a Babies At Peace HQ

It has received interest from up and down the country, from Liverpool to Lincolnshire and Cornwall, and is hoping to grow further.

The group, which recently applied for charity status, is now appealing for help in finding office and storage space at a reduced rate so they can continue to support families.

They have received donations of blankets, and have been offered the services of bereavement counsellors for a few hours a week.

And they have recently taken delivery of two bespoke ‘cuddle cots’ to loan out to families.

A piece of medical equipment similar to a cooled bassinet, it gives bereaved parents the option to have the baby at home with them before the funeral, allowing relatives to take their time saying goodbye.

Chairperson Jacqui Walker, of Shelfanger, said: “We’re extremely lucky to have been donated so many items, and we’d like to thank everybody for their generosity. We’ve been running Babies at Peace from our homes and our houses are fit to burst. We are now in desperate need to have a base, a Babies At Peace HQ.

“We need somewhere we can safely store our Cuddle Cots, Moses Baskets, Memory boxes, blankets etc. And somewhere we can also carry out the day to day running of things.

“Everybody copes differently with bereavement and we’ve found it’s all about helping with what people need and at what time they need it — even if it is practical help like running a hoover around for somebody, helping to organise a funeral, or helping with the paperwork.

“It’s also extremely important that we can offer a wide range of help for young bereaved parents, as this can sometimes be their first experience of grief. We are very excited about the work that we are doing and support we are offering, but it’s also terribly sad to think what the equipment is going to be used for. It really is mixed emotions.”

If you can help, email info@babiesatpeace.org.uk or ring 0800 678 1050 (line open Monday I’m to Friday, 9am to 6pm).

For more see www.facebook.com/babiesatpeace, and www.babiesatpeace.org.uk