Pink and blue umbrellas raise baby loss awareness

Colourful umbrellas hang from the church ceiling to represent baby loss

Hundreds of pink and blue umbrellas have been suspended from the ceiling of a Kent church to raise awareness of baby loss.

Members of the public were invited by St Margaret’s Church in Rainham to write the names of their babies on a wooden heart and attach it to an umbrella.

Baby Loss Awareness Week aims to support bereaved parents and families to commemorate their babies’ lives and lost pregnancies.

The vicar of St Margaret’s Church, Nathan Ward, said: "We are dealing with grief that is very recent but also grief that people have carried for many many years."

Three mothers who have all been touched by baby loss gathered to support the cause

The Kent-based charity, Making Miracles, worked with St Margaret’s Church to help create the display of 400 pink and blue umbrellas in memory of "all babies gone too soon".

The charity also created 200 dedicated hearts which could be personalised with babies' names.

This year marks the fourth year of the installation.

Kelly Wells, CEO and founder of the Making Miracles charity, said the umbrellas represented "shelter from the grief of baby loss".

"It's really important for families to feel heard, seen, acknowledged, validated. It's not like any other kind of grief."

The Rev Ward decided to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week, as he and his family had experienced baby loss.

A special church service was held on Sunday evening.

Baby Loss Awareness Week is described as an opportunity to bring together anyone touched by pregnancy and baby loss a safe and supportive space to share their experiences and feel that they are not alone.

It also hopes to drive improvements in care and support for anyone affected and in the prevention of pregnancy and baby loss.