Westerleigh Crematorium makes donation to volunteer-run baby-loss charity
The Bristol branch of a national stillbirth and neonatal death charity has received a £3,000 donation towards its vital work from Westerleigh Cemetery & Crematorium.
With the consent of families, metals recovered during cremation are recycled and any money raised is used to support local worthy causes.
Bristol Sands was chosen as the latest recipient for a donation from Westerleigh Cemetery & Crematorium in the aftermath of Baby Loss Awareness Week, which took place in October.
Westerleigh Crematorium is part of Westerleigh Group, the UK’s largest independent owner and operator of crematoria and cemeteries, with 35 sites in England, Scotland and Wales, all set within beautifully-landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide pleasant, peaceful places for people to visit and reflect.
Each of Westerleigh Group’s crematoria gets to choose which local organisations to donate money to from its metal recycling scheme.
Shaun Chapman-Young, Site Manager of Westerleigh Cemetery & Crematorium, said: “The loss of any loved one is a difficult and distressing time for those they leave behind, but the loss of a baby can be particularly heart-breaking.
“Organisations like Bristol Sands do vital work to support those families and it is an honour for us to be able to provide the charity with this donation.”
Hilary Sturgeon, Bristol Sands Treasurer, said: “This donation is greatly appreciated. We run on a completely voluntary basis and try to meet the core aims in our area.
“We support anyone who has been affected by the loss of a baby, whether recently or long ago, whether before, during or soon after birth.
“The volunteers at Bristol Sands have all suffered the tragic loss of a much-loved baby, so we know how it feels; the grief, the isolation, the intense emotions.
“No one but another bereaved parent can truly understand the feelings of loss and despair, which is why the support we offer is so important to all the bereaved parents who we talk to and meet.
“We provide emotional support, remembrance events and memory making events as well as funding training for hospitals and specific projects such as refurbishments of rooms used by bereaved parents.
“Once again, many thanks for your donation which will help us continue to support anyone who needs us following the loss of a baby.”
Shaun added: “We welcome invitations for support from any local charities or organisations which work to support our communities in some way.
“Organisations which would benefit from a donation from our metal recycling fund should contact me, tell me about themselves and what they do, and we will consider their application.”
Any charity which would like to be considered for a donation should send an email to Shaun.Chapman-Young@westerleighgroup.co.uk
