Torbay remembrance service for lost little ones

The Little One's Remembrance Service takes place at All Saints Church in Babbacombe

Families who have experienced the loss of a child, or a baby in pregnancy, are invited to a weekend of remembrance and creativity in Torquay.

A craft morning for all ages is taking place from 10:00 GMT at Torbay Hospital's Bay View restaurant.

It will be followed on Sunday by a remembrance service at All Saints Church in Babbacombe at 15:00.

Organisers said the weekend provided families with an opportunity to remember their little ones.

Families attending the service will be encouraged to remember their loved ones with a name or message on a star.

They can ask for their star to be read out as part of the service and then hung on the star tree.

Following the service, the tree will be moved to the Torbay Hospital chapel where it will remain throughout December.

Martin Manley, co-ordinating chaplain at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: "For many years, we have held a special weekend for families who have experienced the loss of a little one.

"Families have often found this weekend a helpful step in dealing with their grief."

The annual events are organised by staff from Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust's maternity unit, chaplaincy services and children's community nursing team, together with local parents.

Ceri Morris, midwife at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This is such an important event for people who have experienced the loss of a baby or child, and we know that this affects everyone in the family.

She added: "The event provides families with an opportunity to remember little ones and acknowledge how they have touched our lives."