We just wanted to take a minute to update all our supporters of the highlights of Baby Loss Awareness Week 2017. This year we worked together with 40 other charities, led by SANDS to raise awareness. Baby Loss awareness week has always ran from the 9th – the 15th of October every year but it was decided that by joining together our voices could be heard much louder. Sands led the project and we were really pleased and proud to be part of it.
There was a parliamentary live debate in the Houses of Commons on Tuesday the 10th of October which lasted 2.5 hours.
We attended the APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group) parliamentary launch of Baby Loss Awareness Week 2017 in the House of Commons on Wednesday 11th October. MPs Will Quince and Antoinette Sandbach chaired the meeting and Philip Dunne MP, Minister of State for Health and Justin Madders MP, Shadow Health Minister were also in attendance and spoke of their support for this campaign. The event was very well attended by the 40 charities working together and it was exciting to feel the positive energy in the room. The new National Bereavement Care Pathway was also launched the same week which seeks to end the current postcode lottery and ensure that every parent is offered the bereavement support they need, when they need it, for as long as they need it.
Buildings all around the UK lit up in pink and blue to help raise awareness and we were really proud to be part of that. We are very grateful to Ipswich for lighting up the Ipswich Town Hall and to Colchester for lighting up the Colchester Castle.
Baby loss awareness week ended on Sunday with the wave of light at 7 pm and again we were very fortunate that MP Will Quince led a wave of light remembrance service at Colchester Castle which we were honoured to attend. Will Quince MP is hopeful that this is an event that will grow in attendance each year. Ipswich Hospital also held a remembrance service in the chapel on the 15th.
We wanted to share this positive news that awareness is growing and changes are happening.
