Hull baby loss charity receives £15k from cremation metal sale

About one in every 200 births in England results in a still birth

A baby loss charity has been given a £15,000 funding boost thanks to a national scheme which recycles metal left behind after cremations.

Katy Cowell, from Hull, set up Abbie's Fund to support grieving parents following the death of her daughter.

The money was raised from the sale of objects such as medical pins and artificial joints recovered during cremation.

Mrs Cowell said the money would help her daughter's memory "live on".

The money will be used to fund memory boxes for bereaved families at the maternity unit at Hull Royal Infirmary's Women and Children's Hospital.

About one in every 200 births in England results in a stillbirth.

Mrs Cowell, who set the charity up following her daughter's death in 2010, said: "I wanted to support other families, it absolutely devastates your life, it just stops."

Cabinet member for bereavement services Councillor Rosie Nicola, whose mother lost a child at birth, was responsible for choosing the charity.

She said: "Apart from the work they do it's a local charity so it benefits families in the Hull and East Riding area who suffer the loss of a baby at birth.

"I can't imagine how devastating it must be to lose a baby at birth."

Richard Barker, bereavement services manager for Hull City Council, said: "We are part of a national scheme which recycles the metals, the metals are weighed in, and the semi-precious metals are worth quite a bit of money.

"The proceeds are divided amongst all the people who contribute and £15,000 has come out for this [charity] which is tremendous."